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Goals vs. systems is one of those classic debates. There is also a third way: values. For an excellent summary visualization and long-form discussion, check ou

Goals vs. systems is one of those classic debates. There is also a third way: values. For an excellent summary visualization and long-form discussion, check out Venkatesh Rao's post http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2014/09/03/how-to-fall-off-the-wagon/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2014/09/03/how-to-fall-off-the-wag...

iamdave 10y ago
I've had a lot of success actually combining goals with systems. As in, I had the goal to quit smoking and to do that I borrowed a system from an addiction therapist I listened to on the Joe Rogan podcast: Identify what makes me want to smoke and when, and pay close attention to those 'trigger' mechanisms. Start the day by counting how many cigarettes I had in my box. Each time I had a 'trigger' to smoke, I would pull out a pocket notebook, mark down a tally, and then tell myself "This cigarette can wait 30 minutes". 30 minutes later, if I had the same, or a different trigger to go outside and smoke, repeat the process. At the end of the day I'd count how many tally marks I had made with how many cigarettes are left in the box. This gave me something I could visually track, it helped me pay attention to my habit versus blindly indulging in every nic-fit that came across, and within a month I had quit smoking. This is just anecdote, but Goals vs. Systems might not be the best way of looking at this conceit; perhaps Goals contextualized within a system are the keys?
- Jonovono 10y ago
  Interesting. So would you say you used willpower to quit smoking?
  - iamdave 10y ago
    Hrm. Good question. I'd say when you sort of 'boil off' all the other stuff yeah. I've tried just sheer willpower before and would always fall back, but combined with taking stock of what made me want to smoke and tracking the progress I was making made the goal to quit smoking a little less hectic because I was actively paying attention to my addiction and what fed into it.
hammocks 10y ago
Add: Here is an example of values-first, since it's missing from this discussion of mostly systems vs. goals. It comes from Leo Babauta at zenhabits.net, and he refers to values as intentions: Focus on intentions rather than goals. As you might know, I experimented with giving up goals after being very focused on goals for years. It was liberating, and it turns out, you don’t just do nothing if you don’t have a goal. You get up and focus on what you care about. Read more here. Instead, I’ve found it useful to focus less on the destination (goal) and instead focus on what your intention for each activity is. If you’re going to write something … instead of worrying about what the book will be like when you’re done, focus on why you want to write in the first place. If you are doing something out of love or to help others , for example, then you are freed from it needing to turn out a certain way (a goal) and instead can let it turn out however it turns out. I’ve found this way of working and living to be freeing and less prone to anxiety or procrastination.

iamdave 10y ago

I've had a lot of success actually combining goals with systems. As in, I had the goal to quit smoking and to do that I borrowed a system from an addiction therapist I listened to on the Joe Rogan podcast: Identify what makes me want to smoke and when, and pay close attention to those 'trigger' mechanisms. Start the day by counting how many cigarettes I had in my box. Each time I had a 'trigger' to smoke, I would pull out a pocket notebook, mark down a tally, and then tell myself "This cigarette can wait 30 minutes". 30 minutes later, if I had the same, or a different trigger to go outside and smoke, repeat the process. At the end of the day I'd count how many tally marks I had made with how many cigarettes are left in the box. This gave me something I could visually track, it helped me pay attention to my habit versus blindly indulging in every nic-fit that came across, and within a month I had quit smoking. This is just anecdote, but Goals vs. Systems might not be the best way of looking at this conceit; perhaps Goals contextualized within a system are the keys?

Jonovono 10y ago
Interesting. So would you say you used willpower to quit smoking?
- iamdave 10y ago
  Hrm. Good question. I'd say when you sort of 'boil off' all the other stuff yeah. I've tried just sheer willpower before and would always fall back, but combined with taking stock of what made me want to smoke and tracking the progress I was making made the goal to quit smoking a little less hectic because I was actively paying attention to my addiction and what fed into it.

hammocks 10y ago

Add: Here is an example of values-first, since it's missing from this discussion of mostly systems vs. goals. It comes from Leo Babauta at zenhabits.net, and he refers to values as intentions: Focus on intentions rather than goals. As you might know, I experimented with giving up goals after being very focused on goals for years. It was liberating, and it turns out, you don’t just do nothing if you don’t have a goal. You get up and focus on what you care about. Read more here. Instead, I’ve found it useful to focus less on the destination (goal) and instead focus on what your intention for each activity is. If you’re going to write something … instead of worrying about what the book will be like when you’re done, focus on why you want to write in the first place. If you are doing something out of love or to help others , for example, then you are freed from it needing to turn out a certain way (a goal) and instead can let it turn out however it turns out. I’ve found this way of working and living to be freeing and less prone to anxiety or procrastination.