We Fall to the Level of Our Systems
I am a massive fan of James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. It’s a textbook for me. One I revisit every year between Christmas and New Year’s. An excellent time for reflection.
For me, goals have always been intoxicating. They promise transformation—better performance, a more muscular body, a different life. But I have learned that goals are fragile. They depend too much on the moment. When you're motivated, goals seem like enough. But motivation fades quickly, and without something to catch you, progress is slowed.
Systems are what catch you. They’re the foundation that keeps you moving forward when you don’t feel like it.
If you want to become a scratch golfer, it’s not the goal of getting your handicap to 0 that gets you there. It’s the system of practicing three times a week, tracking your statistics, and knowing what to improve next. The goal might inspire you, but the system does the work.
The trouble with focusing on goals is that they assume success is an event.
Systems recognize that success is a process. You don’t get fit by deciding to be fit; you get fit by showing up to the gym consistently. Goals give you something to aim for, but systems keep you aiming.
Ironically, the best goals often come from having good systems. A writer who writes every day is likelier to write a great book than someone who sets a goal of writing a great book but never sits down to write (guilty!).
The Lesson Learned: You don’t rise to the level of your goals because goals are just ideas. You fall to the level of your systems because systems are habits. And habits, more than ideas, determine where you land.