We always hear everyone say, “what is your goal?” when it comes to achieving anything in life. And I’ll tell you goals are great. Goals are essential. But if you only rely on a goal at its face value chances are you’ll end up disappointed. We can make all the goals in the world but if we don’t have the habits to support the goal then that goal is only a dream. Ouch! That truth bomb hurts. Your success has very little to do with the goal and everything to do with the habit. Dreams are great but if we want success then building strong habits is essential.
So, what’s the difference?
Habits are defined as “a routine or behavior that is performed regularly – and, in many cases, automatically.” They are built off the habit loop, a system if you will, that drives our actions.
Goals, on the other hand, are the desired state or achievement of one’s activities. We all know the story as old as time about setting S.M.A.R.T goals. If you’ve been under a rock, they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.
But if we want to a better understanding of the difference between the two then I love the definition that James Clear shares in Atomic Habits which he learned from Scott Adams, the cartoonist behind Dilbert.
“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the process that lead to those results.”
If you want to make progress create a habit, if you want to set direction set a goal.
Why does a goal only approach fall short?
According to the University of Scranton, a whopping 92 percent of people who set New Year’s goals actually never achieve them.
I would be willing to put money on it that the main reason the number is so high is because they didn’t have a system, aka strong habits, to keep them going.
I think James Clear in Atomic Habits call out perfectly four major problems about a goal only strategy.
1. Winner and losers have the same goal.
We concentrate on the winner and assume that high ambitions and goals lead to their success. But we all can have the same goal and have different results. The keys are the habits created and used.
2. Achieving a goal is only a momentary change.
When you finally achieve your goal, you change your life in that moment. But what now? If you didn’t change a habit, you could be chasing the same outcome again and needing to find that motivation to get after it.
3. Goals restrict your happiness.
How many times have you said “I’ll be happy when… ?” Stop this! When you do this, you are telling yourself you cannot be happy or experience joy until xyz happens. Stop the “either-or.” Stop the idea of success or failure only. Instead, fall in love with the process and create habits that make you happy at any time.
4. Goals are at odds with long-term progress.
Many goals create a yo-yo effect because once you achieve your goal many people fall back into their “old” habits. Why? Because you only wanted to “win.” You were not playing for the long game of creating sustainable lifestyle habits.
If you’re tired of setting goals and never achieving them or achieving them and ending back where you started, then it’s time for change. It’s time to look at your system “aka habits” and build a strong foundation based on small changes overtime that just become your lifestyle. You are not defined by your goals but by your consistency of your habits.
Sis stop and take a deep look right now. When looking back, did you focus solely on the goal, or did you build small habits? I’ll guess for most of us we kept it surface level at the goal only. No judgement we have all been there. But go forward you are in the know and we are going to dig deep and make shit happen! ❤️
Habits changed the game for me. When I really dug in and went after playing the long game of lifestyle changes, that is when the magic started to happen, and I found happiness in the process. You can too sis! I am here to guide you along the journey.
Until your next goal… I mean habit 😉
Coach RJ
Follow me on Instagram at @fabandfitwithrj for more education, motivation, and inspiration.
PS: want some more good juice on habits then check out my freebie about creating fabulous habits HERE
Sources:
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits. Penguin Random House LLC.
Kotlar, R. (2021). Science Says Only 8 Percent of People Achieve Their Goals. LinkedIn. Retrieved 2022.
Photos:
Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-top-looking-at-corkboard-6931974/
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