Systems Not Goals

Last Friday I ended my post with a call to action: to take some time out of the usual schedules and routines of days, find a quiet place and connect with a higher voice that resonates with you.

So, what was your experience? Did you hear your “Voice”? Did the foxes get sent back to their foxholes? For the record, I got to send a few of mine home, and did I find some surprises!

When it comes to building my writing routine, there are a ton of little tasks that need to be done - from drafting social media posts to editing website content, and etc. So, to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed, I knew I had to create a system. A work flow that would keep me on track and motivated, no matter how much work was involved.

There’s a saying that goes “when the student is ready, the master will appear”. It certainly seemed so as I had just started reading James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits”. I had an epiphany about creating a system of tiny, daily habits. You see, for years I would set high goals with high hopes but get bogged down in endless tasks, leading to frustration and ultimately quitting whatever I had started entirely. I learnt from the book that I had to change my approach - from goal setting to system building. With a solid system in place, I could tackle everything I needed to do and maybe even achieve the elusive success that I crave.

So all through last week, I went about putting all that I had learnt to practice. For starters, I established a 4 hour work schedule, dedicating that to meaningful work. Breaking it down further, I divided each hour into specific tasks. In those 4 hours I created content, submitted to social media, answered emails, and audited my online assets.

Another bonus - while implementing the 4-hour work schedule, I found that I had more time for other things like spending time with family, reading, exercising, and meeting up with friends, without the guilt of neglecting work. That was a huge relief.

In fact I had accomplished quite a bit, except for one thing - sending out this newsletter on time! So, here it is as promised. As the saying goes, “better late than never!”

This week’s action: Set up your own system or systems. 

And do feel free to write back and share your experiences. I would love to hear from you.