Goals Fail - Adopt a System View

There is an expanding discussion on the web on how one creates a good habit or stop a bad habit ... essentially - how to achieve a goal. This post will be updated as I learn more. Initial observations: goals are an end result; can be self defeating; can cause anxiety; are fixed and remain unchanged. A system on the other hand is a process; can be something to enjoy; can be adjusted; becomes a way of living ... a habit (an Introduction LifeHacker).

What are your goals ... lose 10 pounds by Christmas, increase sales by 5%, improve a personal relationship? Let's experiment with one ... Goal: Lose 10 pounds. What system can we create? (now these are just ideas that could become routine or habit over time). We can just say diet and exercise or we can create a system ..

• start a food journal to record foods eaten and what calories are consumed
• understand serving size 
• weigh myself once a week for checking progress 
• start walking 2 days a week 
• never go back for 'seconds'
• use a reduced size dinner plate as 'normal'
• explore intermittent fasting    
• (to be continued)