Goal Setting: Why Systems Matter More Than You Think

We live in a culture where goal setting and achievements are more celebrated than ever. Successes are often posted on social media and people are praised for their milestones—graduation, proposals, weddings, weight loss, new cars, etc. We all have goals in our life. Whether it's getting into a nursing program, graduating, becoming a mom, or buying a car—or maybe your goals are smaller, like losing five pounds, eating healthier, drinking more water, or reading your Bible more. Whether big or small,  each person has individual goals they hope to accomplish.

Creating goals is a healthy habit for growth. However, have you considered not only setting goals but also developing systems that shape how you function? In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear writes “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Let’s flesh out that statement a bit and discover how it can be applied to your own life. 

At the beginning of each week I like to journal about the past week, as well as look forward to the next. This often includes setting weekly goals for myself in  four different categories 

• Physical

• Spiritual

• Mental

• Activity 

These tasks are often simple, achievable tasks that help me work toward my goals. Slow and steady wins the race, right? While I am actively still doing this, I began to ask myself the question, why? What is the reason behind this weekly goal-setting? Is it to make me feel better about myself? The satisfaction of checking a box off? Are my goals actually helping me become the best version of myself? 

When I started to ask these questions, I looked back on the goals I had set in the past. I realized I had completely forgotten many of them—and they had little to no lasting impact. I would set goals like “work harder today than you did yesterday” or “journal every morning” While these are great things to be doing, if it doesn’t develop into a habit, what is truly the point? 

I knew I needed to change something. I began reflecting on the James Clear quote I mentioned earlier. What are my systems? I came to the conclusion that while setting weekly goals is good, setting up habits/systems is better. So how do we make this change?

Here are some practical ways you shift your goals to become systems:

1. Start small 

Trying to take on too big of a task right away will lead to failure and burnout, and quickly. For example, I tell myself I want to start doing the stair master everyday after I weight lift. Instead of telling myself I am going to do 45 minutes of exercise, I start with 20 minutes. While the end goal is to be able to stay on the stairs longer, I need to start with what I am capable of, not where I want to be two months from now. Starting slow allows for progress and improvement. 

2. Make it Non-Negotiable  

Making a goal non-negotiable means treating them as a daily requirement, not an optional task. This will take hard work and discipline, especially in the beginning. However, over time, your consistency will turn into a habit (or a system). You won't even have to think twice about going to the gym when you make it a priority every day. It is like when you're a kid and your parents make you brush your teeth before bed. At first, it was a hassle and felt like an annoyance from your parents, but after some time you began doing it without even being asked. Now, it is a natural step in your daily routine. Our minds are wired to create habits, we just need to implement them. 

3. Make it Rewarding 

Let’s be honest, it feels good to have completed something. The reward that stems from meeting a goal you set is incomparable. Often, when something brings reward, we want to be consistent in it. If your goal makes you feel better or yields high reward, you are more likely to keep doing it. 

Focusing on less goals more intentionally is a set up for success. Trying to do a million little things at once often leads to failure. As someone who enjoys achievement and challenging myself, this is something I am actively working on changing. Goals are easy to make, but good systems are hard to develop. The good news? We can all do hard things.