I just finished reading the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. This book has a powerful message about the importance of developing good habits and eliminating bad habits. There is a wealth of ideas and strategies in this book, and one of the biggest takeaways for me is the idea that you should focus on systems, not goals.

After reading this book, my understanding is that goals end once you achieve them, while systems persist and become habits. This means that goals are a one-off change in your life that you probably won’t repeat, whereas as a system is something that you can adopt in your life and that continues to benefit you long after you have completed a goal in your life.

For example, one of the systems I use in my life is daily action planning and journaling. These are valuable processes that make me much more effective. Daily action planning helps me get things done, while journaling helps me to think and reflect on what happened during the day, week, or month.

Using a daily action plan and journaling are not goals. They are systems that I use continuously in my life. I have goals in my life, but my focus on those goals ends as soon as I achieve them, whereas I continue to use my daily action planning and journaling systems long after I have completed my goals.

So why should you focus on systems? James Clear says that goals are the outcomes. He also teaches that you either feel successful when you achieve your outcomes, or you feel dissatisfied when you don’t. This means you either feel good or bad depending on how good you are at achieving your goals.

If you focus on systems instead, then you will get better over time. For example, consider the goal to lose weight. If you focus only on the number on the scale, which is the goal or end result, you may lose motivation if you don’t see the numbers on the scale improving at the rate you desire. If you instead focus on the systems you are using to lose weight, you can improve your health over time, even if the weight on the scale is not changing as quickly as you want it to.

For me, I have focused too much on the numbers on the scale. I want to reach a specific goal weight, but focusing on this number has not helped me to reach it. Instead, I am now focusing on the systems I am implementing in my life. These systems include working out at the gym and going for walks. I do continue to weigh myself daily to measure my progress, but my focus is now on the systems I am using to improve my health, not on the weight on the scale.

What about you? What goals are you striving to achieve? Step back from those goals and identify the systems you can use that will produce the results you want. Then focus on developing and using those systems instead of focusing on the end goal.

For example, if you want to write a book, focus on writing one page, or even just one paragraph a day. If you focus on the process of writing, instead of the end goal of a finished book, you will develop the habit of writing regularly. Once this habit becomes a system in your life, it can eventually lead to a completed manuscript that you can send to a book publisher. Note that I did not come up with this idea on my own. It is based on the ideas about developing a writing habit that James Clear includes in his “Atomic Habits” book.

Documenting Your Systems

One thing that I think can be beneficial when switching to a systems-based focus versus a goals-based focus is to write down the systems that you already use in your life and the systems that you want to start using. For me, this is part of my journaling habit. Writing down the systems I use in my life helps me to better understand them. It also helps me to think and brainstorm how to improve the systems in my life.

Get a notebook or start a new document on your computer. Write down all the systems you use in your life and the systems you want to start using. Then write a description for each of those systems that identifies what each system is and how you implement it. Also include a description for why you are using each system and the benefits you get from using that system.

And now the most important step: actively use these systems in your life on a regular basis. And refer to your written notes on a regular basis as a reminder of the systems you are using to achieve your goals.

Conclusion

My biggest take away from the “Atomic Habits” book is that you need to focus on systems, not goals. Developing, improving, and actively using systems in your life will ultimately produce results. If you develop and use the right systems, you will start getting the results you want in life. This can include the completion of goals you have been striving to achieve. It can also lead to other improvements in your life.

James Clear teaches that small habits, even small 1% improvements compounded over time, can produce the results you want in life. I am a strong believer in this process, and I have embraced a systems-focused approach to life. I encourage you to do the same by focusing on systems, not goals.

It is still ok to have goals, but you should focus on the systems you are using, not the outcomes you hope to achieve. Then as time passes, your systems will produce the results you get in life, and if you are using the right systems, chances are the results you get will be in line with your most important goals and you will achieve more of what you want out of life.