Systems Over Goals
Why building systems beats chasing goals
·1 min read
Goals are for people who care about winning once. Systems are for people who care about winning repeatedly.
The Goal Trap
When you set a goal, you create a binary state: either you've achieved it or you haven't. This causes two problems. First, you defer happiness until you reach the goal. Second, once you achieve it, the motivation disappears.
The System Advantage
A system is a process you follow regardless of outcomes. Instead of "lose 20 pounds," your system is "exercise daily." Instead of "write a book," your system is "write 500 words every morning."
The goal is the direction. The system is the vehicle.
Applying This to Software
In engineering, this means focusing on:
- Shipping frequently over shipping perfectly
- Building habits over building features
- Creating feedback loops over creating plans
The best engineers I know don't set goals. They build systems that make progress inevitable.