Read this Before You Set your next Goal😬

When budding cartoonist Scott Adams was working at a corporate job Pacific Bell in his thirties, he likely did not foresee how his life would change in the coming years.

He had a vision for what his life could be, but surely he was surprised by the break-out success known of his cartoon, Dilbert.

In Adams book, “How to Fail at Everything, and Still Win Big,” he describes his success as a result of years of systems that he had put into place…not goals.

“But wait, aren’t we supposed to be setting goals, and working our tails off to achieve them?”

Here’s how Scott Adams explains the difference:

“A goal is a specific objective that you either achieve or don’t sometime in the future. ⁠

A system is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of happiness in the long run. ⁠If you do something every day, it’s a system. ⁠

If you’re waiting to achieve it someday in the future, it’s a goal. ⁠⁠If you achieve your goal, you celebrate and feel terrific, but only until you realize you just lost the thing that gave you purpose and direction…⁠

All I’m suggesting is that thinking of goals and systems as very different concepts has power. ⁠

Goal-oriented people exist in a state of continuous pre-success failure at best, and permanent failure at worst if things never work out. ⁠

Systems people succeed every time they apply their systems, in the sense that they did what they intended to do. ⁠

The goals people are fighting the feeling of discouragement at each turn. The systems people are feeling good every time they apply their system. ⁠⁠That’s a big difference in terms of maintaining your personal energy in the right direction.”

---

When you develop systems that move you towards what you want, you are successful each and every time you move forward…not just when you get the result you wanted.

So I say all this because it’s the end of the year, end of the decade, and there’s a chance you will get totally spun up at the end of this month about what needs to happen for your business.

I am encouraging you to channel that energy into constructing systems that will bring you what you want, rather than just goals.

What does this look like in the real world, Amy?

So glad you asked!😂 Let’s say that you want to grow your business by 20% over the next year…What would need to happen to make this a reality?

You could sell more to your current clients or you could bring in new clients or both.

What systems would you need to have in place to sell more to your current clients. You are keenly aware of what they need, is there any way your business could provide it? What are the areas where your customers are asking you if you know of a referral?

To bring in new clients, how could you increase your brand awareness? How can you get more leads? How can you grow your email list to nurture that relationship then ask for the sale?

Then create a system around that outcome. Block off time each week to work specifically on that system.

Let me give you a personal example. I have a system of writing a weekly email with marketing advice (you’re reading it right now-lol). For me, the success is that I hit “send,” not the result, or the open rate.

I know that I will learn over time how to write better subject lines. I know my writing will improve over months and years. I know that doing this over time leads to growth. So I give myself a gold star just for showing up, and doing the work. The results will take care of themselves over time.

You don’t have to let go of the vision–the vision is so important–I am just recommending that you consider how you frame it in your own mind.

This often lightens the resistance and struggle. Getting into the flow state in my business is pure bliss, and I find it easier to get here when I am focused on the process, not the outcomes.

If you are moving in the direction of your dreams, there is no reason not to feel satisfied while you’re on the journey.

Warmly,

Amy