SFH #210: Systems
Your key to hitting goals 🎯
We live in a culture focused on results and achievements. What do you have? What have you accomplished? How do you measure up to expectations—yours, your community's, and society's?
I’ll save the philosophical examination of why we measure our achievements for a future post. Today, I want to discuss our approach to achieving those results.
Most of the emphasis I’ve seen on achievement, whether in health or any other area, revolves around goal setting. Goals are essential; I believe in them. However, creating SMART goals isn’t enough to hit the mark. It’s the system you establish to get there. Over years of coaching amateur triathletes to reach their goals, I’ve learned three valuable lessons through countless experiences.
For most people, their performance and health goals are rooted in an image they have of themselves—a vision of how they wish to see themselves and how others perceive them.
Setting goals is the straightforward part. We could always reverse-engineer good, great, and excellent performance and health metrics to aim for.
The system that guides each person toward achieving their goals is the real key.
I developed a system for building triathlon training plans based on what I learned from my coaching mentor, Ed, the "Triathlon Training Bible" (our go-to textbook), and the practical skills gained from application and refinement over time.
This was the initial set of systems I studied and adapted to achieve health goals. Almost two decades later, every time I’ve witnessed or been involved in pursuing significant goals, I’ve observed that success hinges on the quality of the system in place and the consistency with which it’s followed. Consistency is challenging to maintain if the system doesn’t align with the needs, time, and energy of its users. It’s also difficult to develop or refine a system without considering experience, skill, and opportunity.
My advice: Start simply with your system. Find enjoyment in it or make it enjoyable. We tend to follow through on what we find fun. And don’t hesitate to make adjustments and seek guidance.
Happy Father’s Day 😉