Hey friends,
Setting specific and actionable goals has always been the traditional way of achieving what we want in life. In this book I’m reading about habits, I’ve learnt about the problems associated with settings goals. Creating systems over goals might be the better way to go.
Goals are about the results we want to achieve, Systems are about the processes that lead to those results. Goals are kind of overrated, they are the one-off events at the very end but systems is what you put in place to get there.
If you’re an entrepreneur, your goal might be to build a million dollar business. Your system is how you test product ideas, hire employees, and run marketing campaigns.
If you’re a musician, your goal might be to play a new piece. Your system is how often you practice, how you break down and tackle difficult measures, and your method for receiving feedback from your instructor.
Winners and losers all have the same goal, but most times we concentrate on the winners and assume their ambitious goals led them to success. Just like every candidate wants to get a job. If successful and unsuccessful people share the same goals, then what separates them is the system of continuous improvement they’ve created and not the goals.
Most times we think we need to change our results, but the problem is not the result. The problem is the systems that create those results. For example, if you have a messy room and set a goal to clean it. If you tidy it up now, you will have a clean room for now. But if you maintain the habits that created the messy room at first, the room will still get messy again.
So, now I think about systems over goals. For example, instead of thinking of I want to get a first-class grade this semester. I think I want to review and study my notes after lectures each day. Anytime you’re thinking of setting a goal, also think of the system you’ll need to create to achieve this goal.
Have a great week!
Daniel
My Favourite Things This Week
1 - Article - When building software products, it is good to understand different software architectural pattern. So that one can choose the most suitable one for the current project. In this article, I learnt about the 10 common software architectural patterns.
2 - Podcast - There are many other career paths in tech that doesn’t necessarily require coding. Learn more about this career paths in the episode of the ladybug podcast. I didn’t listen to it this week, but I think it’s nice to add.
3 - App - If you fancy the Pomodoro technique for doing work. I started using this app Forest when I want to do deep work. It helps me focus on the task at hand and stay away from my phone too.
Quote of the Week
A fearful man who knows he is fearful is far more trustable than a fearful man who isn’t aware of his fear. And a fearful man who still leans into his fear, living at his edge and putting his gift out from there, is more trustworthy and more inspirational than a fearful man who hangs back in the comfort zone, unwilling to even experience his fear on a day to day level. A free man is free to acknowledge his fears, without hiding them, or hiding from them. Live with your lips pressed against your fears, kissing your fears, neither pulling back nor aggressively violating them.
From The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida. Resurfaced with Readwise.
The first-class goal remains.
How do I maintain a level of consistency like you?