Stop Stressing Over Goals

By Skinny Farmer

Goals are good.  Goals can motivate.  Goals help measure success.

Everybody knows that.

But not me.  Skinny Farmer has discovered that goals can be bad, too.  Goals can hinder.  And goals can give a false reading of where one is with regard to success.

Say what?

You are probably wondering right now if Skinny Farmer has spent a little too much time in the hot sun.

I assure you that I haven't.  Goals aren't all they are cracked up to be.

Martha, hide the children!  Skinny Farmer is about to tell them they can be listless drifters!

No, I'm not.  What I have found is that there is something much more powerful than goals to help you succeed.

What is that?  I'm fixin' to tell you.

This sort of relates to an earlier blog post in which we discussed the difference between being on a Journey or a Quest.  We were exploring whether we were embarking on a Journey or Quest.

To sum that post up, a Journey was a trip that was more important than the destination and a Quest was a trip to accomplish a task.

What is more powerful than goals to achieve success?

Systems.

Systems Defined

For purposes of this discussion, consider systems to be those things you do on a regular basis.  They may be complex or simple.  

Systems are often skills based, like driving a car.  Driving a car is a system.  In fact it is a relatively complex system if you really think about it.

Brushing your teeth is also a system, albeit a much simpler one.

Systems vs. Goals

Driving is a system.  Getting to the grocery store is a goal.

Brushing your teeth is a system.  Keeping them for as long as possible is the goal (be true to your teeth and they won't be false to you!).

Losing 50 pounds is a goal.  Eating right and exercising is a system.

Starting to catch on?

What's wrong with Goals?

The problem with goals is you either haven't achieved them or you have achieved them.

For example, if you are trying to lose 20 pounds, every day you haven't lost all 20 pounds, you have quite literally failed to achieve your goal.  Maybe you are getting closer, but you aren't there yet.  

You can only maintain that momentum for so long.  Especially if it is a very ambitious goal that will take some time to achieve.  Day after day of not yet reaching the goal can take its toll on you.  Many times there is no discernible progress toward your goal (have you ever plateaued?).  You might even be tempted to give up.

If you are fortunate to achieve one of your goals, that is fantastic.  Bask in the glow for a bit.

Now what?

You either have to set a new goal and start the process all over again, or worse, don't set any goal and become a listless drifter.

Neither option is satisfying.

Systems Rock

Systems, on the other hand, are something you can work and achieve every day. 

Did you brush your teeth this morning?  Way to go!

Did you walk for 30 minutes?  Awesome!

Did you eat right today? Pat yourself on the back.

Systems allow for repeated and constant positive reinforcement.

And if a day comes that you didn't follow the system, no problem.  Tomorrow is another day.  

Plus, your systems can be constantly adjusted and improved over time.  If conditions change, you adapt your system.

You can still use goals to aim your systems, but once set, you focus on the system.  You then can get the daily win by working the system.

And the beauty is, even if you don't achieve your goal, you improve yourself just by utilizing the system. 

How cool is that?

So, for me, I'm not going to stress over goals.  I plan to put my effort into systems that will improve my life on a daily basis.

How about you? 

What are your thoughts on this?  Do you have any systems you would like to share?  Put them in the comments below.

And, if you haven't already done so, subscribe because reading the Skinny Farmer is a system designed to improve your life.  

Until next time.

-SF