I started reading Atomic Habits by James Clear yesterday — a recommendation from my friend Ashley and another one of those habit books that I seem a little bit addicted to. As you might glean from the title, it’s all about how micro (atomic) habits can make the biggest difference in the long-run and provides strategies for anchoring them into your life.
One thought explored is the difference between having a Goal and having a System. Goals are great but also limited — in themselves, they don’t tell you how to accomplish the goal and once you do accomplish the goal it can be over. A lot of people have a goal to write a book, but not many people actually write one. In college, I had a goal to run a half-marathon, but then I stopped running after I completed the race.
Achieving a goal is only momentary change. Systems, on the other hand, are about the long-term impact. They are the how, what, when — the key to actually making progress.
A couple of quotes from the book that help with this concept:
- “The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game.“
- “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
James Clear had a post on his site that delves into goals and systems more — I recommend the short read.
It struck a chord with me since I normally operate based on goals, the systems almost secondary when I get serious about achieving those goals. But as I already mentioned, I’ve often found myself aimless and reverting to old habits after I do accomplish a goal. But it’s not the focus on the results that matter, it’s finding and executing on the daily activities that lead to those results (whether you’re focused on them or not).
All to say, I want to keep playing the game. I set goals to have direction, but I need to keep bolstering my systems to get me there and beyond.
With Love,
Natalie
Excellent advice!