We hope by this point in the book that you feel better about your focus. We hope that at least we have given you more confidence in your ability to improve it – perhaps you’ve already started and are already seeing results.
We hope, if nothing else, that we’ve conveyed to you our core message that, actually, Real Focus is about doing what really matters to YOU most, and that this isn’t so hard when you really put your mind to it.
Of course, having goals is a big part of achieving Real Focus. Goals give us a reason for travelling in a certain direction in our lives and spur us on to keep chipping away. However, in this last chapter, we want to explain how even goals aren’t that useful if you don’t have systems to get you there. Think of goals as the destination, if you like, and systems the mode of transport: it’s all very well having your heart set on going to Cornwall, but if the train breaks down, you’re screwed!
Writing in The Guardian the Psychologies columnist Oliver Burkeman said that if you want to succeed, you need systems not goals. Constantly going after goals, he writes, means you exist ‘in a state of near-continuous failure’ because you are perpetually ‘NOT in a state that you’ve defined as embodying accomplishment or success’.
‘A system by contrast,’ he says ‘is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of happiness in the long run.’ You may not have the big guns blazing, fist pumping moments so much, but you do have ‘a little triumph every day’ – which we think sounds a whole lot better.
IN PRAISE OF SYSTEMS
Many of us might like to think that being creative types, systems aren’t for us. We’re far more comfortable flying by the seat of our pants and using our instincts. There is certainly a place for this; as Sháá Wasmund writes in her book Do Less, Get More: ‘Confidence is the ability to filter out the interference and know what feels right in your heart. And not only know it, but follow it.’
For certain people, gut instinct can be a very good guide. However, not everybody does have the confidence to follow or even recognize their gut instinct and this is why systems can be a safer and more reliable option. Think of systems as the foundations of what you do – freeing up more space in your head for wonderful creativity. Systems give you the freedom to do your best work and also to not continue to make the same mistakes again and again. When you devise a great system, you don’t have to think about it again. Also, consider this: gut instinct and systems don’t have to be mutually exclusive – you can always use them in tandem.
Systems as habits
If we think of systems as habits it can help to make them sound less scary for one thing! Habits are things that we do often and regularly – but cultivating good ones can make a huge difference to our lives. The psychologist Gretchen Rubin wrote how habits – and how having a sound, solid ‘architecture of habits’ to support our lives – are crucial to our happiness. It makes sense that if we have habits (or systems to use that other word) that work for us, life is going to feel much easier; think of our systems like the oil that keep the wheels of our life turning. If it’s a good quality oil, everything is going to feel much smoother.
Creating your own systems
You can create a system – it’s not difficult – the difficult bit is creating a good one! One that works for you. Very often what happens is that we create a system (or fail even to do that) that doesn’t work for us but that we keep repeating. For example, never having a space to put our car keys so that we are stressed out looking for them every single morning; or never filing away bank statements so that we have to pay to re-order them when we need them. Why do we do this?! And carry on doing it? It’s counter-intuitive. However, understanding why – and (as we touched on in Chapter 9) knowing our triggers – is precisely how we can learn to stop and start creating and using systems that actually make our lives easier.
We hope, after reading this chapter, that you can see how systems act as the framework or architectural structure holding up not just your ability to focus, but your whole life. Spend time on creating sound systems in your working and your home life, and you will reap huge rewards (there’s that ‘reward value’ thing again): things will go more smoothly, you’ll save more time, be more efficient and, ultimately, just enjoy things more. It’s really when we feel in harmony like this that we are able to focus to the best of our ability. That’s it in a nutshell, really: great systems = better focus = happier us.
