On Systems Over Goals

There is a well-worn idea that you should focus on systems rather than goals. I have thought about it enough now that I want to write down what I actually believe.

A goal is a target. A system is the process you run repeatedly to move toward it. The problem with goals is that they are binary — you either hit them or you do not — and the moment you hit one, the motivation it was providing disappears.

Systems do not have this problem. A system is just something you do. It does not complete.

Where I apply this

Training. My goal used to be “squat 140kg”. My system now is “train four days a week, add weight when rep quality allows”. The system produced the number. The number did not produce the system.

Writing. My goal used to be “publish more”. My system is “keep a running note of ideas, write when I have something worth saying”. This post is a product of that system.

Work. My goal used to be “ship this feature”. My system is “define the smallest deployable thing, ship it, iterate”. Fewer surprises, better results.

The caveat

Systems need a direction. You still need to know roughly where you are going, otherwise you are just running a loop with no orientation. The goal gives you the compass heading. The system is what moves your feet.

The mistake is treating the goal as the thing to optimise. The goal is just a checkpoint to let you know the system is working.