Is focusing on your goal harmful to you?

When reading the worldwide bestseller ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, translated into 45 languages, I paused at pages suggesting that too much focus on your goal is not the right way to achieve it (if I understood it correctly). But is it? I have divided this article into 5 sections. Let’s dive into it…

I’ll throw in a random question: If we completely ignore our goals and focus only on the systems and feats guiding us toward the goal, would we succeed?

At first, my thoughts were, ‘No, of course not. Having a goal is the most important.’ But that is where I was wrong because the truth is often the opposite. Just to be clear, the definition of perception systems is as follows: Goals and results, what we want to accomplish, and systems are the processes that lead to them. Having a goal has some truly important aspects, such as:

But having a goal will not propel you forward. The systems and feats are the ones that drive progress, acting as the fuel to the engine. Yes, without a goal, we won’t even attempt to achieve something, so having a goal is indeed correct.

However, fixating on that goal is not right. Let me explain. If you focus too much on achieving your goal, whether it’s starting a business, lifting heavy weights in the gym, or creating a website, you may not fully learn and progress because you won’t concentrate on the essential elements propelling you forward: systems and feats. Don’t understand? Don’t worry; I have an example.

Let’s consider the example of a mountain climber. His goal is to reach the top of the mountain, and his systems and feats are what enable him to climb and achieve this goal. His systems include knowledge, physical strength and endurance, equipment, and much more. While he might somehow climb the mountain by blindly focusing on the goal, it would likely involve unnecessary risks to his life.

If he directs his efforts toward developing his skills and knowledge (his systems), he’ll discover that there are multiple paths to the mountain and that new paths to other mountains may open as well. New preferences, knowledge, places, and a deeper understanding will unfold for him—but only if he focuses on the systems propelling him forward, rather than blindly pursuing his goals. He needs to shift his way of understanding. Appropriate or not?

We could provide another example of someone attempting to program a video game, website, application, robot, or anything else. They might simply follow their goal, copy all the code, and finish it as fast as possible. I’m not saying that I haven’t copied pieces of code myself, but this process won’t teach them anything new. A new path won’t open up, and I doubt they could master their creation in the future because, without proper systems and knowledge, you can’t move forward. There’s a ceiling that one hits when blindly pursuing a goal.

You are always aware of your goal, and that is fine, but DON’T PURSUE IT BLINDLY. Another important aspect when chasing your dream or goal is not only about changing the way you do things but also about changing yourself, and changing who you are. This theme is expansive, and I can’t cover everything, but I will certainly talk more about this.

Now, I have already discussed a lot. Do you agree or disagree? Does the goal have the same value as the systems and feats? Do you have an example where it is not relative? Don’t be shy; write everything down. I guarantee you that my responses and others will come. Rebuke everything; I may change this article just based on your comments. I accept all criticism; just write it down. We are all here to become the best version of ourselves.

“It’s all about becoming the best version of yourself.”

Aflowa

The best website 😉

I also have a really good quote to share with you, since I have been talking about the mountains:

“Don’t climb mountains so that people can see you. Climb mountains so that you can see the world.”

David McCullough Jr

Author and educator

Find more about Atomic Habits and James Clear here