Salt Lake City, UT, United States - Senior Oracle Developer and enterprise systems leader Gregory Mikolay has launched a new public initiative called the “Clear & Calm System” Work Challenge, a simple 7-day habit challenge designed to help individuals reduce daily work friction, improve focus, and think more clearly about the systems, technical or personal, they interact with every day.
The challenge is inspired by Gregory Mikolay’s career-long approach to problem solving—breaking complex systems into manageable parts and improving them through calm, consistent action.
“You don’t fix big problems all at once,” Gregory Mikolay says. “You fix things step by step through analysis and clear and calm thought processes”
Why This Habit Matters
Across industries, poor systems and unclear workflows are a leading cause of stress and inefficiency. Research consistently shows:
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70% of workplace errors are caused by process breakdowns, not individual failure.
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Knowledge workers lose up to 60 minutes per day switching between tasks without any structure or organization.
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Writing out tasks improves follow-through by over 40% compared to mental tracking alone.
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Simple daily reflection improves long-term performance and retention by 20–25%.
“These aren’t talent issues,” Gregory Mikolay explains. “They’re system/organizational issues. Any system can be improved through thorough detailed analysis.”
“Clear & Calm Systems” Work Challenge
The challenge requires 10–15 minutes per day, no apps, no purchases, and no special tools—just paper, attention, and consistency.
Day 1: Write It Down
List everything that causes problems or friction in your work environment; unclear tasks, delays between IT partners/management, confusion in requirements, rework schedules, interpersonal relationship communication breakdowns between manager/employees and other employees etc. are some examples.
“Once you see these issues written down, it’s no longer just a collection of noises inside your head,” Gregory Mikolay says.
Day 2: Find One Bottleneck
Pick the one major issue that causes you the most stress or difficulty in your work.
“Staying calm, reserved and disciplined should be your preoccupation,” he notes. “You can’t fix problems by panicking over the issue(s). This is Stoic Philosophy basically, and it helps to engage this way in any type of IT work”
Day 3: Break It Down Into Parts
Write down in clear and concise bullet points what you think leads to the issue(s).
“Issues and problems of any kind also have structure, even if the structure is chaotic” Gregory Mikolay says. “By itemizing each twist and angle of the issue you can begin to understand the source of the problem; a very important step to consider ahead of any kind of solutions”
Day 4: Remove One Step
Eliminate or simplify just one step in the process.
“Not everything can be fixed at once,” he says. “You work towards full solutions to problems in increments, sometimes by yourself or in collaboration with others. So always think methodically, or ‘one step at a time.’ And, always Stay Calm”
Day 5: Standardize
Document any improvements to instill and demonstrate new standards. Collaborate with others on the language and application of these standards,
“If you don’t get buy-in on new process fixes from others on your team, managers and department heads, the improvements won’t last and issues will remain,” Gregory Mikolay explains.
Day 6: Test Under Pressure
Almost immediately, after standards are adopted, you and those on your team need to begin to implement, discuss their utilization and constantly put them to the test.
“That’s where standardization implementations either hold or fail,” he says. “If you don’t employ them daily, you miss the opportunity to improve or evolve ”.
Day 7: Reflect and Lock It In
Meet with your co-workers, team, managers, department heads frequently to discuss the positive or negative effects of newly integrated problem resolutions.
“It doesn’t need to be perfect,” Gregory Mikolay says. “You need time to practice, perfect and discuss any marked progress. In time and with patience you will see positive results.”
Share Your Progress (Optional)
Participants are encouraged—but never required—to share their experience.
Public Sharing Prompts
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“Day ___ of the #ClearSystemsChallenge: one thing I simplified today was ___.”
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“I realized this problem wasn’t me—it was the system.”
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“Small fixes create calm work. Here’s what I changed.”
Private Option
For those who prefer not to post publicly, Gregory Mikolay encourages:
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Writing a daily note in a journal
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Emailing yourself a short reflection
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Sharing progress with one trusted friend or colleague
“Improvements require participation and buy-in from individuals and teams, etc.,” he says. “More than anything, it requires vigilance and honesty.”
A Challenge Built on Real Experience
Gregory Mikolay’s career spans construction, hospitality, agriculture, and over 20 years in enterprise IT. He has worked with major organizations including Oracle, the U.S. Veterans Administration, financial institutions, and healthcare systems.
“I’ve seen what happens when systems break down,” he says. “And I’ve seen how calm, disciplined thinking creates the best environment to analyze and then fix them.”
This challenge is designed to help individuals apply that same thinking to their own work and life—one small system at a time.
Call to Action: Start Day One Today
The “Clear & Calm Systems ” Work Challenge is open to anyone, regardless of role or industry.
No signup.No tools.No pressure.
“Just begin,” Gregory Mikolay says. “Write, analyze, think calmly, fix incrementally and then move on to your next challenge.”
About Gregory Mikolay
Gregory Mikolay is a Senior Oracle Developer based in Salt Lake City, UT, with more than 20 years of experience in enterprise systems, database development, and performance tuning. His career spans technology, construction, hospitality, and agriculture, shaping a practical, system-first approach to problem solving. Outside of work, he is a musician, builder, and supporter of Native American causes, food banks, and college funds.
Contact: gregorymikolay@emaildn.com
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