✍️ NEXT GROUP STARTS SEPTEMBER 1 — WAITLIST OPEN NOW ✍️
Stay on top of every deadline, responsibility and personal project, even when work and life collide.
In 90 days, turn your scattered calendars, inboxes, notebooks and apps into a personalized system that shows you what needs attention, what can wait, and how to get back on track when life gets chaotic.
“I was able to get right back to my system after that fire drill with greater ease and efficiency than before.”
Kelly S.
You’re here because…
✅ You fill notebooks, calendars and apps, but can’t find what you need when you need it.
✅ You move unfinished tasks from place to place without making actual progress.
✅ Deadlines are invisible until they become emergencies, leaving you playing catch-up instead of getting ahead.
✅ You spend your days solving other people’s problems while your book, business, or creative project goes untouched.
✅ You create a new system, use it for a few weeks, then abandon it when travel, illness or a chaotic week knocks you off course.
✅ You finish the day exhausted, but unable to relax because you’re sure you forgot something.
It doesn’t have to be like this.
“Things might go sideways during the day, but I can rely on my system to get back on track.”
Jennifer M.
Why I stopped copying the experts and started designing for real life.
The panic attack hit me on a Tuesday.
I found myself on my bedroom floor, chest heaving, unable to catch my breath. My phone buzzed relentlessly with notifications I couldn’t face.
My perfectly organized life had collapsed in an instant.
It was a perfect storm of events: One disastrous week at work, one time-critical YouTube launch, one non-negotiable family trip, all colliding at once.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I had done everything right. I’d researched the best productivity systems. I’d copied the methods of experts. I thought I was more organized than everyone else.
And yet here I was — watching everything I’d built collapse like a house of cards.
The worst part was retreating in the face of people who’d been so impressed by my accomplishments. I was mortified.
But in that dark place, I had an epiphany:
Every system I’d ever tried was designed for someone else’s life.
A simpler, more linear life. A life that didn’t involve multiple roles, complex projects, and a relentless stream of curveballs speeding at me from every direction.
I learned the hard way that these ready-made productivity systems, at best, turn you into a fantastic cog in someone else’s machine.
So I stopped trying to fit my life into someone else’s system and started designing my own.
I got serious about thinking on paper. Not for the aesthetics, but to gain a better, clearer understanding of my own mind. I figured out how to make my paper thinking work with my digital tools instead of against them. I built a system that could actually hold everything — professional obligations, personal projects, and everything in between.
And for the first time in years, I felt the mental chatter of action items, anxieties, and unchecked boxes fade into silence.
I could hear myself think. And I liked what I heard.
Once I had that breakthrough, my ambitious goals were finally achievable. I got promoted at work and began managing a team. I hit 10 million views on YouTube. And I finally had time to sink back into my lifelong passion of fiction writing.
That mental clarity — the feeling of trusting your system, of knowing that nothing is falling through the cracks, of finally having space for the things that actually light you up — is what I want for you.
You don’t need another framework. You need a system that was actually designed for your life.
Let’s build that together.
“I’m making real progress for the first time in years — not just planning a system, but actually building it while living my life.”
Sarah A.
Why pre-made systems demand more time, add more clutter, and still drop what matters most
Out-of-the-box productivity systems seem perfect in theory. But they’re built for the lowest common denominator, not people with big responsibilities and bigger aspirations.
Getting Things Done: A foundational productivity system — with way too many steps.
Bullet Journaling: A blank notebook is a powerful tool — but creating all of your spreads by hand takes time that you just don’t have.
12-Week-Year: Great for those with one job and priorities that don’t compete — which is no one.
I’ve spent years breaking these systems apart to figure out what actually works and how to implement it without the frills. Once you have a system that’s built for the life you’re actually living, you can…
Take a coffee break without counting the seconds.
Spend time with your loved ones without sacrificing time for yourself.
Open your planner on Monday without dreading what you’ll find.
“I have a clear understanding of what is working, what’s not — and why.”
Margie G.
The principles that keep your work (and personal projects) moving through busy weeks:
📝 Good systems are designed, not adopted: A system that wasn’t built for your life will always fight against it. That’s why I want to help you create something that fits.
💪 Systems should bend, not break: A good system survives a hard month without needing to be rebuilt from scratch.
🗓️ Consistency beats perfection: A flawed system you maintain beats a perfect system you’re too afraid to use.
📓 Simplicity wins: A system you have to wrestle with is a system you’ll abandon as soon as life gets hard.
Over 90 days, we’ll create a system that reduces overwhelm, supports you during busy times, and creates the mental clarity promised by all those other systems — except this time, it’s built for you.
Here’s exactly how we’ll get there…
“I finally feel like I’m in control, instead of playing catch-up in all my planners.”
Heidi T.
The System Design Lab: 90 Days to Productivity Peace
The System Design Lab isn’t just a collection of random productivity tips. It’s a comprehensive, program designed to transform how you approach your time, planners, and life. Here’s what’s inside:
Phase 1: Design — we map your life together, then build the system to hold it.
📝 Step 1: Determine exactly what’s broken.
Before your first call, you’ll complete an in-depth productivity assessment that identifies your specific blockers, your current system’s weak points, and where you’re losing the most time and energy.
You’ll receive an immediate diagnostic profile — a clear picture of exactly what’s working, what isn’t, and why. I’ll also have a copy, so when we sit down together, we can get straight to work.
🛠️ Step 2: Re-design your system from scratch. Together.
You and I will meet in a 90-minute, one-on-one Design Session, where we’ll use your diagnostic profile to hand-design a custom productivity system built around your actual life — your job, your family, your creative work, your limitations.
You leave with a clear sense of exactly how your ideal system works, and a gameplan for how to tweak and test it against your real life throughout the rest of the program.
“I have read many books on productivity and thinking, and not made much headway on my own.”
— Sibyl Y.
Phase 2: Action — pressure-test your system against real life.
📚 Step 3: Install the routines that move tasks forward.
Over 10 weeks of live group sessions, we’ll go deep into every component of a high-functioning system — capture, project tracking, the digital-paper bridge, and more.
Plus, there’s dedicated Q&A! Bring your actual planner and your actual problems, and we’ll work through them together in real time.
Can’t make it live? No problem. Everything is recorded and hosted online with lifetime access.
💬 Step 4: Learn from a community of smart, driven people who actually get it.
You’ll have access to an exclusive online community of people who are as dedicated to their systems as you are.
I’ll be in there answering questions, giving feedback, and responding to your problems as they come up.
It’s a safe space for like-minded people to trade tips, share resources, and celebrate their wins along the way.
🧪 Step 5: Test your system in real life, not just in theory.
Each week, we’ll all work together on small, practical challenges designed to fold core productivity practices into your actual life.
Challenges are designed to work right alongside your day-to-day planning, so you can integrate what you’re learning without adding another block to your calendar.
“Geek out with like-minded people on systems, process, and routines in service of reclaiming clarity, time, and meaning.”
— Kelly
BONUS Private Session: you don’t need a 90-day vacation to make this work
🫶 One additional 1-on-1 Realignment Session with me, whenever you need it.
Life happens. Your system needs to adapt. Your private Realignment Session is built for the moment work, family or health knocks you off course. We’ll adjust what no longer fits, remove what you don’t need to catch up on and get you moving again without starting over.
“I feel like I have the tools to get back to baseline if I get overwhelmed.”
Mariya H.
Helping Overwhelmed People Finally Find Stability
★★★★★
“I finally feel like I’m in control, as opposed to the normal chaos and overwhelm I feel when I’m trying to play catch-up in all my planners. Now I know what I need and what’s going to work for me.”
— Heidi
★★★★★
“Having a one-on-one, real, insightful conversation with Rachelle was soothing to my overthinking mind. I’m encouraged to work on the action points she provided from hearing my planner struggles. If this opportunity comes up again, I wouldn’t hesitate to participate.”
— Eileen E.
★★★★★
“I’m so appreciative of Rachelle’s help in figuring out a system that can work for me. She asked fantastic, insightful questions that helped me think through how I’m using my planners and what could make it all work more simply.”
— Chelle B.
★★★★★
“Looking across my desk at 15 different notebooks, I just felt overwhelmed. Talking with Rachelle helped me realize I just need to figure out where I’m going to do things — and more importantly, that there’s some stuff I just don’t need to do at all.”
— Sheila M.
★★★★★
“I feel like I can breathe again when managing my very busy and chaotic schedule and thought process. I have always preferred pen and paper — and I’ve always felt forced into the digital way because that’s the norm. This is helping me reclaim the paper way.”
— Brandy
★★★★★
“Exactly what I needed to get clarity and move out of overwhelm. I feel empowered! I am on the path to building a system that flows, and to more peace of mind.”
— Tracy A.
★★★★★
“Such a clear way of thinking that has my brain relaxing rather than feeling overwhelmed. I can’t wait to clear out all my notebooks that have been sitting in my closet for literally years.”
— Yumi W.
★★★★★
“I hadn’t realized how many things were broken in my system until I went through this. From the amount of capture tools I was using that never led anywhere, to not having a thinking book — I’m excited to set things up and fully commit to it.”
— Neide I.
How you’ll build a system that holds everything — week by week.
Personal Productivity System Assessment + Diagnostic Profile
Complete before your first call. Yours to keep.
90-minute 1-on-1 Design Session with me
Your custom system, rebuilt and refined with your exact life in mind.
10 weeks of Live Group Sessions
Deep dives into every component of a high-functioning system, with dedicated Q&A sessions.
Private Online Community
Get feedback, advice, and connection with your peers on a day-to-day basis.
Weekly Implementation Challenges
Small, practical, designed to take only a few minutes. Built to turn lessons into long-term knowledge.
One additional 1-on-1 Realignment Session
Redeem any time during the program, and fix your system’s biggest problems.
Lifetime Access to All Session Recordings
Hosted online. Yours forever.
“This might be the set of practices I’ve needed to make progress in my research, art, and teaching — without it being a ‘choose any two’.”
— Clarissa L.
BONUS: PaperOS
The workshop built to get you thinking on paper
Every participant gets full access to PaperOS, my foundational paper productivity workshop. If you’re looking to move your digital life into a paper ecosystem, this is the launchpad you’ve been looking for.
Praise for PaperOS
★★★★★
“I am so glad I took the chance — this is a framework I have not seen presented anywhere else.”
— Kay
★★★★★
“I am excited to have a core place to capture, think, plan, and schedule — and so thankful for solid ideas to make paper work for me without needing to be an artist.”
— Rebekah P.
★★★★★
“One of the best things I have spent money on in the last year.”
— Campbell
“I feel like I can breathe again… This is helping me reclaim the paper way.”
— Brandy R.
The System Design Lab isn’t for everyone — here’s how to tell.
The System Design Lab is perfect for you if: 👍
You have a life you love across work, home, family and personal passions — but you struggle to hold it all together.
You’ve tried Bullet Journaling, Getting Things Done, and other productivity systems, only to find they don’t adapt to your commitments and aspirations.
You like the idea of thinking on paper, but struggle to implement on-paper productivity in a way that synchronizes well with digital tools.
You have a system – but you still end the week feeling like something slipped through the cracks.
You’re ready to perfect your system and build the skills you need to solve this once and for all.
The System Design Lab is not for you if: 👎
You’re a productivity beginner looking for basic solutions.
You’re interested in an entirely digital productivity system.
You’re not interested in the cognitive benefits of thinking on paper.
You only want prerecorded material and aren’t interested in live, one-on-one and group learning environments.
Tried everything? You’ve never tried a system designed for your life.
★★★★★
“Rachelle has come the closest of anyone to addressing the challenges of managing in a corporate environment — which is why I keep sticking with her. A lot of her stuff can be adapted.”
— Eric R.
★★★★★
"I've been paper planning all my life… no one else is doing this topic, and the world needs it. Fantastically helpful 'productivity therapy.' I feel really clear about how to work with my system in the future now."
— Mel
★★★★★
“I went in a little worried that, as someone who’s been trying variants of the bullet journal, it might be too simple. I’m glad I took the chance. This might be the set of practices I’ve needed to make the progress I want in my research, art, and teaching — without it being a ‘choose any two.’”
— Clarissa L.
★★★★★
“I have read many books on productivity and thinking, and not made much headway on my own. The training from Rachelle was great — and the contributions from others in the group were super helpful too.”
— Sibyl Y.
★★★★★
“Rachelle said something that I write in my planner every month: ’Plan for the life you have and not the life you want.’ That quote made me change my whole perspective on what my life actually is.”
— Eileen E.
★★★★★
“The conversation was reassuring. Hearing my own ideas reflected back by someone who knows what they’re doing makes me feel like I know what I’m doing.”
— Randi N.
“Rachelle has come the closest of anyone to addressing the challenges of managing in a corporate environment.”
— Eric R.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plan for a few focused hours upfront — that’s your Productivity Diagnostic and your 90-minute Design Session with me, where you’ll actually build your system. After that, the main time commitment is the weekly 60-minute group session, which you can join live or submit questions and watch afterward. Everything else — the weekly challenges, the online community, the implementation work — is designed to integrate into your normal life.
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That’s fine — this program is built for people with full lives. Every session is recorded and hosted online with lifetime access. You can also submit questions ahead of time, and Rachelle will address them on the call. You don’t have to be there live 100% of the time to still get the personalized support you need.
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Yes — especially if you’re ready to take what you learned and build a full system around it. PaperOS teaches you how to think on paper. This program takes that foundation and designs a complete, personalized system around your actual life.
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They will. That’s not a problem — it’s actually the point. This program runs for 90 days specifically because real life will intervene. A busy season at work, a family crisis, a week where your system collapses. Learning how to recover from those moments — without starting over from scratch — is one of the most important skills we’ll build together. You’ll practice it here, with support.
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Not at all! Paper thinking is one of my core practices, but hybrid systems are totally welcome. If you’re curious about paper, already use it occasionally, or have tried it and want to make it actually work, you’re in the right place.
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The fall cohort starts September 1st. Enrollment opens in late August.
“I’ve spent 30 years writing things down, but this flavor of confidence and intention feels new and fantastic.”
— Mel L.
The next chaotic month is coming. Let’s build a system that can handle it.
The question isn’t whether your system needs to change. You already know it does. The question is whether you’re going to keep trying to figure it out on your own — one more book, one more hack, one more planner that works for three weeks — or whether you’re ready to leverage expert guidance and build something that actually sticks.
The System Design Lab is for people who are done starting over.
If that's you, join the waitlist below. When enrollment re-opens in August, you'll be first in line.