Word of the WEEK - Reality!
Topic of the Week: Atomic Habits part 2 Systems over goals
Video of the week: Success Habits: The Proven Way to Achieve Your Dreams with James Clear and Lewis Howes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRse5I_p7tA
In James Clear’s book he says, you do not rise to the level of your goals but fall to the level of your systems.
The goal is your desired outcome, the system the collection of daily habits that will get you to your goal.
If there’s a gap between your goal and your system, if there’s a gap between your desired outcome and your habits, your habits will win.
Your results in life are often a lagging measure of your habits. You savings is a measure of your financial habits, your physical fitness level is a measure of your habits of eating and exercising, etc
The system delivers what ever result occurs.
We talked about a system here on live it or waste it way back in the beginning when we did the show on the morning routine. That would be a system of good habits that get your day started in the right direction.
Goals are good for setting you on the path, giving you a direction, but your system of getting there is what really matters and determines whether you accomplish your goals.
SPORTS ANALOGY - In sports, every team starts the offseason with the goal to win the championship. But only one team achieves that goal every year.
There are other factors that play into it that aren’t necessarily in your control, like personell, injuries, schedule, etc… but it’s the system the coach implements, from the way they practice, what they eat, how they bond with one another, these are all things a coach does and they do it the same way every season with a tweak here and there once they see that system leads to an opportunity to win the championship.
Now there are some coaches that are stubborn and refuse to change their system or adapt it to changes in the way the game is played and they are successful at achieving the goal of a championship.
But the important thing to understand with systems is that they aren’t attached to the outcome of the goal, because the system is to put you in the best possible position to take advantage of the opportunities put in front of you.
The system is a series of good habits that create a lifestyle in line with your identity.
Kobe identified himself as someone who was going to outwork everyone else, so his habits reflected that with the 50 workouts a day. The championships, the records, the achievements were all just symptoms or a reflection of the system in place.
This is where what you identify as, is important. Because identifying yourself as something too specific can cause you to have tunnel vision and limit you.
For example, Kobe’s identity was someone who worked hard and was disciplined and focused on the task. If he had just identified himself as a just basketball player he, one, may not have pushed himself as hard, and two, when basketball was over his identity would be gone, then what?
But identifying himself as someone who outworked everyone else, someone who learns and grows, embraces fear and failure, he could apply that to anything he was doing.
James also discusses the importance of environment and habits.
Habits are more likely to form if the cue is obvious. It’s easily visible, easily accessible.
The groups you spend your time with.
positive habits in a negative environment is only sustainable for a short period of time.
A great way to build a good habit is to be around, join a group with mutual habits and interests.
With bad habits you would do the opposite.
if you’re trying to quit smoking you stop having cigarettes in the house.
You don’t hang out with people who love to smoke
Stop going places where people smoke
James says in his book that research shows that people who appear to have better self control really are just tempted...
