The Purpose of Creating Systems in Your Life
In episode 14 of The Heal Deal Podcast with Dr. Leona, we discussed why creating systems in your life can help you achieve success. Systems provide structure and purpose to your everyday activities, so it’s important to understand how they work and what benefits they can offer. We’ll discuss why having a system is important, and you’ll leave with tangible advice to execute!
What’s the difference between a Goal and a System?
A goal is a light at the end of the tunnel, a beacon of hope to ground you on your path toward achieving something bigger and greater than yourself. It can come to us as an event, a dream, or a vision that drives our passions, motivation, and life mission forwards. But the system is vital to reaching that goal.
Our system includes helpful tools such as efficient action plans, resource lists, and additional instructions for any roadblocks to success. It also encourages us to learn from our previous successes and missteps to fill any discrepancies, allowing us to improve our desired outcome continuously.
We can stay focused on achieving our objectives by having a reliable system. Therefore, no matter how daunting the goal may appear at first glance, you will accomplish it within a reasonable time frame.
We Create Systems to Reach a Specific Goal
Setting achievable objectives is critical to having success. It gives us the roadmap we need to follow to reach our goals. For example, if our goal is to publish a book, then implementing an effective writing schedule will make all the difference. Likewise, establishing structure and disciplined practice over time will increase our chances of reaching that result.
Likewise, if we wish to reach ambitious fitness goals such as running 10Ks, committing both long terms consistency and lifestyle changes needs to be considered.
By addressing physical and personal commitments, one can continue to take an active role in reaching their desired outcome. Combined with the established objectives, this helps solidify ownership over health and future direction.
Ultimately, proper systems tailored to unique goals empower us to see consistent progress toward desired outcomes!
Systems Don’t Run Off of Motivation
When you set a goal, you get excited. You visualize the plan, and you tell yourself. I’m going to do it this time. I failed over and over, but this time I will do it. And you are so motivated to act.
But what happens eventually? What happens to that motivation? It goes down. Absolutely. And then, once that momentum is gone, you’re back to where you started. You’re discouraged, and you’re upset. You’re mad at yourself.
But the problem is this; you are relying on your feelings and motivation to reach the goal, not a system. So, when you have that system in place, you’re focused on the system and what you need to do consistently until you reach the goal. So, there’s no longer a focus on the goal.
Say you start going to the gym, and after about three weeks, you don’t see many results. You may have lost a pound or two, but you’re discouraged because you still have 35 pounds to go.
You’re looking at yourself from where you are and where you need to go, but you’re not focusing on the process of getting there. That’s where that discouragement comes from. You’re thinking to yourself “I still have 35 pounds to go…” That’s what stops us, and we give up.
When I have a client at the office, I sit with them. Then, in the first month, I give them some strategies; I tell them what to eat and not snack on and get rid of certain processed foods, and they start immediately because they’re motivated.
But I know as a coach, eventually, that motivation goes away, and I have to be ready for that. Because when they come to the office, maybe about a month or two within the program, I see the face. I don’t even have to say anything. I know that look in their eyes.
They say, “Doc, I’ve been bad. I fell off. I had that pie. I had that bag of Skittles.” The reason why they fell off is that they lacked that motivation. I’ve seen this over and over again.
When you focus on the journey, when you focus on the system, when you focus on what you need to do and what not to do, the results will take care of themselves.
If you’re one of those who focus on the goal, you need a system.
Systems are Path-Makers
I love systems because they give me a structured path to follow. It is helpful to maintain consistency in habits and goals; however, before I relied on a system of organization, I never stayed on the same course for very long. My aspirations frequently shifted and changed. Sure, I had boatloads of sometimes charming ideas and hopes for the future, but I lacked any one type of system tracking them. Having structure enabled me to plan and reach those desired endpoints.
Without this guidance, small life choices can turn into big problems when you least expect them. What if my upcoming business trip causes schedule conflicts? What if rough days leave me too exhausted to make it through dinner chores? Even simple decisions carry further implications, so having systems prepared for such spontaneous dilemmas is invaluable.
With any successful lifestyle plan, there has to be an emergency system in place. But, of course, we’re talking more than just an emergency food system. Even emotional eating needs accurate systems. When life happens, so do unplanned events and urges to eat our emotional encounters.
Creating comprehensive plans includes working on designing unique meal planning systems as well as strategizing effective exercise shortcuts. Doing your research is key when you come across various methods of starting meaningful systems for your lifestyle while still being mindful of what brings balance.
As you continue working on the systems over an extended period, more effort, no matter how minor, individualized inconsistency goes into those upgrading strategies that eventually become a chronic motivation for progress-chasing aspirations. That’s an even-power approach that provides triumph through adaptation!
How to Put Your Systems into Motion
Before setting out on this journey, it’s essential to understand your end goal and why it matters to you – an important step that many of us can find challenging.
To reach clarity and determine the most effective routes you need to get there, guidance from experts outside of yourself may be necessary. I specialize in aiding individuals like you in laying the framework for success by discussing where they are currently so we can create a tangible strategy that will support them as they continue on their voyage.
Having a plan for success is essential when it comes to reaching your goals! So, take the time now to establish manageable daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly habits that will help ensure you stay on track.
For example, of wanting to lose 40 pounds – meal planning can be vital to getting there. Not only should meals, like what and when they’ll be eaten each day, need consideration, but other factors, such as preparation techniques or budgeting guidelines, must also come into play.
Systems are Meant to be Adjusted
In my practice, the strategy for success is to try different things and not be afraid of failure. Therefore, my clients and I consistently readjust and repeat drills until the desired results show. This can all be done during the follow-up visits, where we note habits and track their progress.
An honest evaluation of processes that go wrong can sometimes prove incredibly valuable when individuals have grown frustrated or burned out along the way. That’s why it helps to recognize & log successes and deviations so that any new adjustments or changes can target their development precisely.
Because when you are not getting the results you want, you got to evaluate the system and not the goal. Never be afraid to try different things and ask for help, especially if you cannot do this alone.
Create a System That Works for You
Keeping what works and eliminating what doesn’t is integral to any journey. It’s tedious and rewarding to discover where you may fall short and find new solutions to fill those gaps.
Doing so isn’t always easy, but the joy of getting educated and learning what you don’t know more than makes up for it.
Taking on a journey to improve yourself is a fantastic experience. But unfortunately, we often want to develop a skill before beginning the journey.
Yet, research shows that hands-on education provides invaluable knowledge that occasional offline studies or accelerated learning modules cannot match. The best way to develop the necessary skills is by taking the journey itself, exploring alongside those who have already been there before you.
Creating systems in your life is an essential part of achieving success. Whether it’s weight loss or skill development, taking small steps towards progress each day and keeping what works while eliminating what doesn’t are key components to reaching success.
If you need support creating a system for yourself that leads to lasting results, don’t hesitate to schedule your Breakthrough Call today!
Dr. Leona
