Forget Goals! Follow Systems!
I have recently started reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. When I was explaining the idea of the IteratingLife blog to someone, they told me to check this book out. I can’t explain how well it embodies the “small incremental change to reach huge success” idea. If you want to go buy it now, I would not blame you for not finishing this article.
The book hit me so hard with a concept I am amazed I did not see or think of before. We talk about being goal oriented, and knowing where we want to go. That’s Success 101. But what is the next step? We tend to get overly focused on that goal. Did we reach the goal yet? Yes or no? Tomorrow we ask again. Yes or no? When we answer with enough “no’s” we tend to just drop it the idea of reaching goal, or just plan lose interest.
So many people make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. What is the difference between those that lose the weight and those that don’t? They both had the same goal. They both really wanted it. Yet one person made it and so many didn’t? Why?
Stop focusing on the goal. Focus on the system!!!
Today you make the New Year’s resolution. What do you do tomorrow? If you clear out your pantry of all of the snacks, and start planning healthy meals, you are off to a good start. If you plan a work out schedule, you are doing even better. But what about a week later? A month later? If your pantry still doesn’t have high-calorie snacks, and you are going to the gym regularly, your chance of success is probably pretty close to 100%. There is no need to look at the goal weight on a daily basis. All you need to do is just keep doing what you are doing. No fatty snacks, and regular trips to the gym. Keeping the regimen will mean that one day, before too long, you will reach your goal weight!
Those that focused only on that golden number probably gave up a long time ago.
Your success lacks a system
I must admit. I, like many people, have a very messy closet. Super messy. Believe me, it’s bad. Every once in awhile, I clear out a chunk of time and clean it up. I get everything organized and my wife is proud of me. I did a great job. Right? Well, not really. Although it it clean now, in a week or two, it will be messy again. Why? You guessed it. My organizational system and upkeep of my closet is lacking. Although it is clean now, tomorrow I will just run in and cram something onto a shelf or throw something on the floor. THAT is the reason my closet isn’t clean. I can have the goal of a clean closet, but without the daily focus on the system of keeping it organized, it will always be messy.
Let’s get serious
If you keep bad eating habits, you will be heavier than you want to be.
If you don’t work out regularly, you aren’t going to be in shape the way you desire.
If you keep dating jerks, you are going to breakup and be upset a lot, still not finding the right person.
If you don’t focus on paying down debt, you will remain in a poor financial situation.
The list can go on forever!
How do we actually get where we want to go? By putting a system in place and sticking to it, we can get there. We use our goal as a North Star to create the plan, and then we stick to that plan. There is no magic. It just takes time and effort. Little bits of daily progress will mean that you get there before too long. What is your goal? More importantly, what is your system, and how will you stick to it?
