To Achieve Any Goal, Setup the Right System

“We’re quick to blame ourselves for lack of progress, but slow to blame our strategies.”_ Stephen Guise

Accomplishing anything starts with the mental picture of the desired state: a clear goal of what one wants. Clarity of purpose is essential from the get go. This will guide our efforts on the way to achieving exactly what we seek.

However, not many people are effective at setting their minds to something and achieving it. Like them, I have also encountered this challenge in some fashion, and solving that sort of a problem is the purpose of today’s article.

After my own share of failure on goal getting, I am gradually coming to the conclusion that the trick to unfailing achievement in big areas of life may have to do with something more important than setting a goal.  And that is: setting up a system to realize the goal. 

If you disagree, then I ask you these questions: does every student who aims at becoming a valedictorian attain it?

Or, does everyone with a goal to lose some weight accomplish it?

Or, does everyone with a goal to master a special skill become proficient in the end?

Of course, not all people with a goal practically achieve their aims. 

Now, if goal-setting is as effective as many peak performance experts claim, then it begs the question: Why do so many people still fail despite having a goal at the start?

The answer lies in their system: what they do, each day.

A goal is only a compass for the direction we want to go. But to ensure it will happen, we must set up a system to keep us on track towards the envisioned destination. 

On this, James Clear, the author of ‘Atomic Habits’, says that to achieve any goal, a system is more valuable than the prize. 

In his words: “When you focus on the practice (system) instead of the performance (outcome), you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time.”

In ‘How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big’, author Scott Adams explains further. He writes: “If you do something every day, it’s a system. If you’re waiting to achieve it someday in the future, it’s a goal.”

For example:

If you want to be fit and healthy, set a goal, yes. But more important than the goal, setup a system of right living each day—regarding your pattern of eating, sleeping and exercise.

If want to be a valedictorian, set a goal, yes. But more important than the goal, setup a system of focused regular study, each day.

If you want to be a bestselling author, set a goal, yes. But more important than the goal, you need the habit of sitting down to write each day.

System is less about hitting a particular target; it is more about sticking to the process and not missing a practice. A system will always yield as long as you have the right system in place and you commit to living by it.  

If you’re having a real hurdle towards any goal, the problem is not necessarily about the goal; it is about your system. Focusing on the system, rather than the goal, is the way to go for the attainment of a really big, long-term vision. 

And James Clear adds: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your system.” In other words, a bad system will sabotage a good intention, every time.

Whatever your aim is, whether it is to get into better shape, build a successful business, or write a best-selling book, committing to the right system is surest way to making it happen.