Womenfolk Wednesday Wisdom
Happy 2020 everyone, we hope that you are well and starting the year in a way that is kind and loving towards yourself.
We have introduced a new project called Womenfolk Wednesday Wisdom where we will be sharing podcasts, blogs, talks, books and more in relation to different subjects that we feel is helpful for our community.
It is a place where we want to encourage and motivate people to start/continue/maintain their creative careers. Some days will be sharing resources and others will be sharing inspirational stories to keep us motivated & inspired (us included).
Today’s topic is centered around goal Setting and creating good systems to achieve your goals.
At the start of every year, there is a surge of inspiration where people want to become the better version of themselves, setting the highest goals for that year and dreaming big to be productive. All of those things are completely valid and attainable, but so often we fall short of maintaining the consistency of our goals, and for me personally, I find that half way through the year that I have forgotten my goals and not kept up with what I had intended to do for various reasons.
This year I have taken my time to set my goals because I am still deciding what to do with my year and prioritise what is important. As I have been deciding, I have been reading this book called Atomic Habits written by James Clear. It is a book that has changed my life because it has broken down how to create new habits in a manageable way and it has changed my perception in how to achieve goals.
Clear writes that “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” He explains in the book that achieving goals has nothing to do with ambition & passion, but about how you create systems to achieve the goals you want. To be consistent, disciplined with small habits that lead to bigger outcomes.
It is a slow and sustainable process that over time compounds, and you start seeing results over time. He explains it’s about showing up and doing the work, even on the days that you don’t want to do something - they count the most.
He talks about how you change your language and mindset around the things you want to achieve, and you create an identity based on your outcome. Once your identity has linked to the person you want to become, your habit is likely to stick.
It has helped me a lot as I start planning for my 2020, my financial, spiritual, professional & personal goals. It is so easy to get impatient with yourself while you are trying to either build upon yourself, business, fitness, or money and jump ahead. But it is important to do the work to get there, not skip steps and take time to make monumental changes. Focusing on your direction on where you want to be rather than being upset at your current situation is a better way to approach your life.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or frustrated that you can’t seem to put things in place, this is a book for you. It will give you different ideas & exercises to try out in your life, and show you that anything is possible.
Here is a Ted Talk talking about the process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nzqnXWvSo
Here is a link to his book https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Here are some fab quotes from the book :
“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
“When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running.”
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”
“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
“If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”
“Professionals stick to the schedule;
amateurs let life get in the way.”