Anyone who has set and achieved a goal understands the importance of a system. The processes, routines and habits, that support the achievement of a goal. Let’s explore this in more detail how to go about building an effective system to help you in goal getting.

To be effective at goal getting you need to build a process and daily routine. To do this you will need to shift your focus from committing to a set of goals, to committing to a process and routine. You need to commit not only to the goal, but more importantly to a system for achieving the goal. To develop such a system you start with your goal and ask yourself the following two questions:

• What is the steps do I need to take to move towards my goal?
• What are the daily habits I need to develop to support each step? Those activities or tasks that if done repeatedly will move you towards your goal.

For example, suppose my goal is to write a book. The process, the steps I need to follow to write my book may include the following steps:

1. Identify a topic
2. Research and conduct interviews
3. Develop an outline
4. Write a draft
5. Refine and edit the draft
6. Check grammar and spelling
7. Publish and market

All good. Next. What is the daily routine I need to support this process?

To support this process I would need a daily routine that may consist of the following habits:

• Reflect on my goal and the process each day for 10 minutes
• Brainstorm ideas for 30 minutes
• Exercise for 45 minutes to allow for the incubation of ideas
• Read for 60 minutes or conduct an interview
• Write 1000 words

I think you get the idea.

It’s this daily routine of habits that makes all the difference.

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle

Successful leaders figure out a routine, those critical daily habits, that help them achieve their goals. And every day – no matter what – they make sure these habits get done. In this way they move a little bit everyday towards achieving their goals each and every day.

When you commit to a system you always win as you’re making progress everyday.

If you’re committed to becoming a successful leader having goals is necessary, but not sufficient. You must also be committed to a system that helps you take action daily.

Benjamin Franklin used a system to help him achieve his goal of living a virtuous life. In the same way you an I need a system to help us achieve our goals.

Do you have such a system?

If not, take some time out this week to develop a system that will help you achieve your goals. After all is said and done, it’s what you do daily that ultimately determines your effectiveness as a leader.

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