I just finished ATOMIC HABITS 1st chapter and I must say that the author Jame Clear helped me realized the 2 important things.
The 1st one is why small habits make a big difference. James Clear said that "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement" and "The effect of your habits multiply as you repeat them". Too often, we convince ourselves that it is either you go BIG or you go home, that you must have that 1 defining moment or that 1 viral Tiktok video in your life to experience a big change like being famous and rich. However, he also said that "Improving by 1 percent can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. If you can get 1 percent better each day in one year, you'll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you are done. What started as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more." meaning if we are doing something small and might not experience the result instantly it doesn't mean that you already failed. All we need to do is to be consistent and to commit to what you are doing because the most powerful outcomes are delayed and mastery takes patience.
2nd is to FORGET ABOUT GOALS, FOCUS ON SYSTEMS INSTEAD.
Eventually, the author began to realize that his result had very little to do with the goals.
GOALS - Are about the result you want to achieve.
SYSTEMS - Are about the process that leads to those results.
Example: If you're a coach, your goal is to win the championship. Your system is the way you recruit players, manage your assistant coaches, and conduct practice.
Goals are not completely useless, because they are good at setting direction, but systems are best for making progress.
Problem #1: WINNERS & LOSERS HAVE THE SAME GOALS.
Every Olympian wants to win a gold medal. Every candidate wants to get a job. And if successful and unsuccessful people share the same goals, then the goal cannot be what differentiates the winners from the losers. Its when only they implement a system of continuous small improvements that they achieve a different outcome.
Problem #2: ACHIEVING A GOAL IS ONLY A MOMENTARY CHANGE.
"Imagine you have a messy room and you set a goal to clean it and ended have a clean room FOR NOW. But if you maintain the same sloppy habit that led to a messy room in the 1st place, soon your room will be messy again and hoping for another motivation to clean"
You're left chasing the same outcome because you never change the system behind it. YOU TREATED THE SYMPTOM WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE CAUSE.
Achieving the goal only changes your life for the moment. What we really need to change are the systems that cause those results. Fix the input and the output will fix themselves
Problem #3: GOALS RESTRICT YOUR HAPPINESS
"Once I reach my goal, then I'll be happy". The problem with the goals-first mentality is that you are continually putting happiness off until the next milestone.
A system - first mentality provides the antidote. When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don't have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running.
Problem #4: GOALS ARE AT ODS WITH THE LONG TERM PROGRESS
Once you achieved your goal, you will no longer be motivated. This is why many people find themselves reverting back to their old habits after accomplishing a goal.
The purpose of setting GOALS is TO WIN THE GAME
The purpose of building SYSTEMS is TO CONTINUE PLAYING THE GAME.
Ultimately it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.
"YOU DON'T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR GOALS, YOU FALL TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR SYSTEMS"
