We all have things we want to achieve in life — whether it’s making a certain amount of money, landing your dream job, running a marathon, or just getting a little healthier. Whatever the goal is, it lives somewhere in the future.
Goals can be powerful motivators, but they can also get in the way of doing something truly meaningful. Some goals just aren’t realistic. Some are so far off that we lose momentum. Sometimes, we set goals for things we think we want—only to realize later that they weren’t quite right for us all along.
That’s why it’s so important to start by building your system.
No matter what you want to achieve, a good system gives you the structure you need to get there. As James Clear, best-selling author of Atomic Habits, puts it:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
Let’s take a closer look at what this really means.
Enjoy the Journey
A system is simply a way of doing things regularly and intentionally. It’s not tied to a specific outcome, it’s woven into your life more broadly.
Maybe your dream is to open a bakery. Instead of jumping straight in to launching a business, you start a side hustle baking and selling muffins for friends and local markets.
Even if the bakery doesn’t happen right away — or ever — you’re taking the steps to learn and grow while still enjoying the process along the way. You’re building a foundation that can one day turn into something bigger.
And that’s the point. Systems create conditions for your goals to grow naturally. They offer structure, support, and flexibility. When you focus on the system instead of the end result, you often discover what you actually want along the way.
The Power of Habits & Routines
Think of habits and routines like laying the foundation for a house. You can’t build the rooms until you’ve made the structure strong. Brick by brick, piece by piece, your consistent actions add up.
The same is true when it comes to your personal goals. Systems aren’t just about efficiency—they help you build and grow so you can eventually achieve what you want.
Small daily actions build confidence, reinforce positive behaviours, and create a sense of purpose and meaning.
Let’s say you want to run a marathon.
You can’t just sign up and hope for the best, you need to start training. Only then will you discover whether your body can handle it, whether you actually enjoy it, or whether running a marathon isn’t the right goal for you at all.
Without the system (the training), setting the goal can end up feeling frustrating — or even defeating.
Don’t Put the Goal Ahead of the System
Progress comes from the process. Once you’ve put your system in place, you’re in a better position to set goals that truly work for you. As you move through the steps of your system, your goals become more clear and you figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Progress is one of the most satisfying feelings we humans experience, and the systems we set up offer small, steady wins — the kind of that build momentum and keep you moving forward.
Goals, on the other hand, come with delayed gratification. While they can feel more dramatic with a bigger sense of accomplishment, the motivation to achieve them can be harder to sustain over the long haul, which is why systems are critical.
Deciding what works best for you and moving in that direction is the first step.
Try This: Build Your First System
Systems create conditions for your goals to grow naturally. They offer structure, support, and flexibility. When you focus on the system instead of the end result, you often discover what you actually want along the way.
How to build a system
Step 1: Pick your goal(s). Think about the things you want to achieve in the different areas of your life. They can be short or long term, and as specific as you want.
Step 2: Do your research. Find out how others have achieved this goal or something similar, what methods they’ve used and how long it’s taken.
Step 3: Decide what works for you. There’s so much information out there, important to take the time to figure out what is right for you and your life.
Step 4: Start small. Don’t go full throttle into a system until you’ve had a chance to test it out to see if it works for your life. Take the first step, then the next, to see if you’re on the right path for you.
As you continue to walk through the steps, you will discover whether the system and goal you’ve chose are for you.
