Why Your Systems Matter More Than Your Goals

Wanting success usually starts by setting goals and creating plans, but what if I were to tell you that neither one matters as much as your systems?

Systems are how things happen, not what you plan to happen. 

The difference is subtle, yet fundamental.

Your goal is to get fit, you plan to go to the gym 4 days a week, now all that’s left to do is start, right? 

Wrong. You still haven’t adjusted your system.

You can plan to go to the gym 4 days a week, but how are you actually going to make that happen? 

Going to sleep late has led to you waking up tired, your phone being right next to your pillow has led to you snoozing 3 times and scrolling for an hour before getting up, and both of these have made going to the gym so much harder to do.

Motivation and willpower will never be enough when your systems are setting you up for failure.

Good systems remove friction, remove decisions, and they remove the need to be fired up and ready to go. Systems are what really decide your success.

Systems are everywhere, they’re involved in brushing your teeth, making coffee, watching TV and even biting your nails. Systems are simply what cause a specific outcome to happen.

Every outcome you get at any given time has come from a system. Try it, think of something that has happened that can’t be attributed to some form of system. You can’t. This is how integral they are to the life we live. 

If you’re trying to think of the difference between systems and habits, just think habits are the behaviour, systems are what allow that behaviour to repeat.

We all know how important habits are, and yet not many know how integral systems are to said habits.

You Already Have Systems

Did you notice above that there was not one mention of this being something you have to create, find, or add? This is because you already have systems, it’s about paying attention to the ones you have and deciding whether they contribute to your goals or are a hindrance to them.

The above example of waking up tired is also a system, it’s just a faulty one, one that makes you less likely to reach your goal. 

Imagine you’re trying to lose weight and are on a strict diet. Getting a craving and reaching into your cupboard is much easier than getting dressed, getting into your car and driving to the store. 

There is enough friction in the latter to prevent a setback. 

Your system of buying food decides which one of these two options you have, and the option you have determines the success of your diet.

Focus On The System, Not The Outcome

Focusing on the outcome doesn’t change the outcome, but focusing on the system will.  

I once worked a job in sales where it was 100% commission. My performance directly decided whether or not I made a living.

A few weeks into the role, someone turned to me and said, “Something I’ve noticed about you is you never talk about how much money you’ve made, you never seem bothered”

My answer was simple, focusing on how much money I’ve made doesn’t change how much money I make, it actually only reduces the chances of making any. Focusing on my performance will allow me to improve, which in turn leads to more money.

Focusing on the wrong thing (the outcome) can actually reduce the chances of receiving it.

If I had focused on the fact that I had made nothing by lunch, the frustration and desperation would only lead to a worse performance and further reduce the chances of making anything for the remainder of the day.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was talking about systems.

Thinking about how badly you want to succeed doesn't improve the chances of you succeeding. Systems are the vehicle that gets you to your goal, so focus on them. 

You can only know what parts of your systems to change by actually paying attention to them, by noticing them and finding any holes within them. That’s why focusing on them is so important.

What part of your systems can you change/improve that would increase the likelihood of getting your desired outcome?