Lesson 15: Set systems not goals

You’re often told to set ambitious goals if we want to succeed. “Aim high,” they say. “Work toward the finish line.” But what if I told you that success isn’t about the goal itself, but the system you build to get there?

I learned this during one of the most overwhelming periods of my life: preparing for my IGCSE exams. With countless subjects, topics, and practice papers staring me down, I felt like I was drowning in work. No matter how much I wanted good grades, simply having that goal wasn’t enough to keep me focused or organized.

That’s when I realized I needed more than a vague aim—I needed a system.

The System That Saved Me

I broke my workload into manageable chunks, assigning specific tasks to each day. Instead of thinking about “studying everything for Physics,” I made a plan to tackle one topic at a time. Every evening, I would review my progress and adjust the next day’s schedule.

I also followed a pattern:

• Work in blocks: Study for 45 minutes, take a 10-minute break, and repeat.

• Mix subjects: Rotating between topics kept things interesting and helped me retain more.

• Track progress: I ticked off completed tasks, which gave me a sense of accomplishment and motivated me to keep going.

Suddenly, what once felt overwhelming became manageable. The system gave me structure and momentum.

By exam day, I didn’t just feel prepared—I felt confident. The good grades I earned weren’t because I had a goal. They were because I had a system that worked.

James Clear, in Atomic Habits, puts it perfectly:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”