Are You Working Towards Goals Or Setting Systems?
Yay! So 2022 is underway. For some of us, we have goals, resolutions all set out. We have drawn vision boards up, but we are over 6 weeks in. Are those goals materializing or do we still need a bit of mojo to get it up? If you haven’t set goals, Queen, why is that? There is still time to salvage things without pressure and I’ll tell you how.
We have learnt for the longest time to be focused on setting goals. While this is good, what we need is to set systems.
WHY SYSTEMS?
Systems don’t focus on delayed gratification as goals do. Goals depend on time and are futuristic. Haven’t you ever wondered that once you miss a particular deadline, other tasks are most likely going to fall? Or say you want to lose 70 pounds in 3 months, your focus automatically shifts to the when and not the how. Simply, goals focus on the when and systems focus on how.
Achieving a goal is just for a moment, but your systems are not bound by time.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Set better systems.
Instead of saying, I want to get into upper management by the end of 2022; create a workable plan to get you there. I will get to work daily by 6 pm and I will keep things professional. I will meet up with my tasks. Also, I will have a meeting with HR to review my career progress, measure KPIs and know what the promotion requires.
Instead of saying, I want to cut out soda intake by half by December; spell out what you will be doing. I will run a juice cleanse every quarter. Or I will take more smoothies and juices. I will only take soda once every two weeks.
Set actionable steps. All you need is consistency and to build a skill set. Manage your skillset effectively and they build your systems.
Don’t be over-reliant. Unlike goals, your systems are more flexible. We should not set a lot of these things in stone. Things are bound to change, so be ready to give yourself grace. They are bound to change. Have a backup plan as well.
Learn not to attach a lot of emotions to inanimate things. That way, you will not sway by how you feel each time.
Know when it’s time to take a breather. We all need it. Work a bit, play a bit. This way you are not tired, overwhelmed or burnt out. De-stress, take time off, see a movie, go on a date, have a girls’ night out. Relax and rest. Rest shouldn’t be a luxury, you need it.
In the words of James Clear, “Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. A handful of problems arise when you spend too much time thinking about your goals and not enough time designing your systems.” Let me know in the comments below if you found this helpful.
