Caught myself polishing my cycle shoes before an indoor ride.
Why polish shoes for an indoor ride?
Why polish shoes for any ride?
Why polish shoes at all?
This is what happens with systems, vs just goals.
My system is to polish shoes before putting them on. Irrespective of cycling, a formal dinner or office.
A systems mentality allows your muscle memory to kick in and reduce decision fatigue and cognitive load.
Sure, the above example is very simple, but don’t be misled – a systems-first approach is a critical component of aiming for success. And, generally, following systems is long term success, goals need to be reset each time you pass/fail a previous goal.
Daily todo list? System
Team standups? System
Regular reviews? System
Checklists? System
Upskilling yourself? System
Daily reading? System
Regular exercise? System
…and more.
I first came across Systems vs Goals in Scott Adams (of Dilbert comics) book How to Fail at Almost Everything & Still Win Big. It’s one of my favourite books and full of life and business wisdom, put forth in Scott’s wonderful narrative style.