Hello Beautiful Souls and Goal-Getters!
I’m sure we have all had that experience where you have set new goals for yourself and there’s plenty of determination and motivation. Then after a few day or weeks (maybe even hours) all that passion has drained. So the question is: how to achieve your goals? How do you keep the motivation? With New Years having just been and gone I’m sure we all some resolutions or goals in mind for 2024 but by the end of January the motivation is already waned or gone. Today we will dive into a secret recipe to achieve your goals every time. Lets dive in and start feeling the success of our goals achieved.
Why Goals Alone Don’t Cut It
Please don’t get me wrong in thinking I’m telling you not to set goals at all. Not the case! Goals are very important in life. They help to give you direction and meaning, taking the daily grind to new heights.
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”
– Tony Robbins
However there are a number of issues with setting goals, especially those we set and forget.
Goals don’t equal your success
Merely setting a goal doesn’t guarantee the desired outcome. Like many things in life, it requires effort. Goals, even S.M.A.R.T. ones (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-limited), don’t provide a daily roadmap to the end result. This can result in a lack of motivation due to the enormity of the task, leading us to give up most of the time.
Momentary change no consistency
Goals, especially the ambitious ones, often demand an extreme change in lifestyle or habits, which is not always sustainable. This sudden change can lead to a quick burnout, as it may not be consistent with your current life patterns or rhythm. Hence, the motivation fades quickly, leading to abandonment of the goal.
Implies happiness is in the future not now
Goals can often create the illusion that happiness or fulfilment is just around the corner, waiting for us once we’ve achieved our objectives. This mindset can cause us to overlook the joy and contentment that can be found in our day-to-day lives, as we’re always looking ahead to the future. It can also lead to disappointment if we achieve the goal and happiness isn’t in the end result, or we inevitably realise there is another goal to go on with.
Doesn’t allow space for long-term achievement and evolution.
Setting goals and working towards them can often feel like you are only working towards a distant future, not leaving room for growth and development in the present. The focus on the end result can sometimes halt the process of evolution and long-term achievement.
Whether it’s a large, long-term goal or a small, short-term one, systems can help you create a pathway to success, overcoming the pitfalls of goal setting.
The Magic of Systems
This is where systems strut onto the stage. Unlike goals, systems are the daily habits and routines that nudge you closer to your dreams. It’s like the GPS, guiding you through each turn, to the outcome you want. James Clear, in his book “Atomic Habits,” nails it: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Spot on, James!
Recommended read: Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Why Systems Work:
Consistency Over Intensity:
Systems prioritize regular action, where goals focus on outcomes. By taking our goals and breaking them down into small action steps then adding those steps into our lives in a systematic way is much more manageable than going from 0-100.
For example: if your goal is to start regular exercise – 5 days a week for 30 minutes each morning. Jumping from no exercise to this regimen could lead to exhaustion, overwhelm, loss of motivation, and eventually giving up. However, if you implement a systematic approach, you can gradually build up to your desired outcome. You could start with 10 minutes a day, 2-3 times a week, and slowly increase from there. In doing so, you’ve already achieved success.
Adaptability:
Systems are inherently flexible, allowing for adjustment and resilience in the face of change.
Continuing with the previous example: what if your life commitments change and you can’t exercise 5 days a week for 30 minutes as planned? Do you abandon the goal because you can’t keep up? With a system-based approach, the aim is simply to increase your exercise. This could mean less time but more days, or fewer days but more time. Your system can adapt to your lifestyle, making it flexible and sustainable.
Measuring Progress:
Systems enable real-time tracking of progress, offering regular feedback and motivation.
Keeping with the exercise goal: You have already achieved your goal by increasing, no matter what increasing looks like. Therefore, you can feel a sense of accomplishment early, increasing motivation rather than decreasing it. If you wait until your at your goal of 5 days a week for 30 minutes you won’t have the motivation of success to help you along.
How to Achieve your goals: Step-By-Step Guide:
- Define Your Lifestyle: It’s really important to consider your lifestyle; your routines, habits, and daily activities. Your systems should fit seamlessly into your lifestyle to maximize effectiveness. Not be an unmanageable burden.
- Remember your why: Understand what is important to you. Why is it worth putting these goals into your daily life. Keep a reminder of these visible and ease to remind you everyday; create a vision board, post-it notes, your phone/desktop wallpaper.
- Set Your Priorities: If you have more than one goal you are working on identify what areas in your life need improvement or attention, and set these as your priorities.
- Develop Small, Manageable Tasks: Break down your priorities into small, manageable tasks. This can make the system seem less daunting and easier to follow.
- Plan for Consistency: Incorporate these tasks into a daily or weekly routine. Consistency is key in making a system work. If you are someone who doesn’t do well with routine that ok too, don’t be too restricting – if you can’t do it the same time everyday, just make it consistent and do it sometime that day.
- Monitor Your Progress: Regularly check in with your progress. This can help you stay motivated and let you adjust the system if needed. Habit tracking and journaling your progress can be really helpful.
- Seek Continuous Improvement: Always look for ways to improve the system. The goal is to make the system better and more efficient over time. Keep moving the outcome goal post if needed.
- Stay Flexible: Life changes, and your system should be able to adapt with it. Flexibility is crucial in maintaining a system that aligns with your lifestyle and values.
Final Thoughts
Commonly we ask ourselves how to achieve our goals. Goals are the destination, but systems are the journey – and let’s be honest, the journey is where the magic happens. By focusing on building effective systems, you’re setting yourself up for sustainable success. Switching to a systems mindset does wonders for your mental health. Systems take away the focus on the deadlines, brings focus to the now, and the steps it takes for success. This shift reduces stress and makes the process a lot more fun allowing for sustained motivation. Remember, it’s the little things done consistently that lead to massive results.
So, let’s start building those systems and turn those dreams into reality!
What a refreshing take on goal setting! It’s certainly systems in my life that have more chance of working……
Its definitely been helpful to make goals more successful.
Great Post. This makes so much sense. I have trouble keeping on track with goals so I’m now going to think about systems instead.
Fantastic! I’m glad it has been helpful for you.
Love this take! I love goal setting but only if created in more of a system than a goal. Breaking big goals down into smaller tasks can really help things become habits which makes things a lot easier in the long run!
I agree Katherine! Its makes it a lot easier to actually succeed and keep motivated.
That’s a very interesting point of view. Thank you!
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it and I hope you took something away from it.