Reaching Our Goals; The Destinations & Systems that Move Us
Systems: Our Best Set-And-Forget Tool
Image by Jazmin Quanor from Unsplash
Goals are important - they are destinations that provide clarity, self-awareness, and the impetus we need to move toward who, where and what we seek to be. The real money however is found in SYSTEMS. Why? Because goals are reach-them-and-done proposals.
On the other hand, systems have no deadline. Systems are set-and-forget tools that work in the background and below the surface, independent of mood or distraction. Yes - goals are important must-have compass points, but bigger and better in ways than goals are SYSTEMS, which beat planning, motivation, and enthusiasm every time. A simple goal-achievement system made famous by author Steven Pressfield is this:
Turn pro when it comes to your goals; Treat accomplishing goals the way an accomplished professional treats their work;
Remove friction that stands between you and your goals; Lay gear out the night before a run, say no to commitments that keep you from painting every morning, etc.
Create, prioritize, and protect sessions with yourself to engage in work that inches you toward a goal. Sessions need not be long and they need not happen every day. 3x to 4x sessions weekly for 20 to 30 minutes is enough to move mountains.
Photo by Getty Images via Unsplash+
What to do Day to Day to Move the Needle and Ourselves
Practical steps to make things happen include
1) Define & ID your clear specific aims;
2) Break goals into 1, 2, 6 & 12wk tasks;
3) Craft & Schedule practices that address tasks;
4) Stay Flexible - Adapt & Continually Learn from Mistakes
5) Assess Progress & Acknowledge Milestones
6) Do What you Say You’ll Do. Keep Promises to Yourself
By combining well-defined goals and well-devised time-blocked systems to engage 3 to 4 times weekly for completing goal-specific tasks, we create structured, adaptable frameworks for GETTING THINGS DONE ! Adopt a never-miss, uncompromising attitude toward frequent, regular, undistracted, SYSTEMATIC time 3 to 4 times a week to complete the tasks that comprise your goals.
Finally - know this: We can go from newbie to success and we can go from failure to success. It is impossible however to go from excuses to success. Show up and do what it is to be done when it’s time regardless of mood and watch the benefits flow.