Success is all about consistently achieving your most
desired results. And, in the long-run, success depends on
the balance between chaos and order in your life. The more
order, structure, discipline and routine in your life, and
the more focused you are on your goals, the more likely you
will be successful. Chaos, on the other hand, is the enemy
of success!
In America, we are seeing this in the political campaigns.
Some candidates never seem to get organized. Their message
and their schedules are undisciplined, and they exit early.
Contrast that with the choreographed organization, planning
and precision of Pope Francis' visit this week. Success
comes from organization and effective systems!
Or another example. No one competes in the Olympics by
accident. Olympic athletes train and prepare every day for
years. They work with the best coaches and study the
techniques of the best competitors. They use computer
animation, slow-motion photography, and endless hours of
practice to get the smallest details just right.
I recently read a case-study about "structural precision"
at the Olympic Games. The dining facilities in the Olympic
Village are one example. Every day, they prepare thousands
of meals precisely tailored to each individual athlete's
specifications. Some athletes want more protein, some more
carbs. Others focus on specific nutrients, while others
need 10,000 calories a day to stay strong! Success at the
Olympic level depends on systems to get every detail right,
for every single competitor, every single day.
Chaos is the enemy of success.
To achieve your goals, you need systems that are as
complete and well-designed as you can make them.
Every researcher, every manufacturing process, every
successful sales presentation requires organization. Every
attorney has a strategy and a system for winning her case.
Every doctor follows a precise process to get an accurate
diagnosis.
And yet we live in a society that values spontaneity and
impulse gratification. I suspect all human beings are drawn
to "bright shiny objects." We love the new and the novel.
We are easily distracted. As the poet wrote, "the best laid
plans of mice and men go oft astray."
Many of us actively resist self-discipline and order in our
lives. We want to adjust our schedule on a moment's notice.
There's a sense of excitement in our daily surprises. As
much as we want success, we also want to be "free" and
spontaneous, and that's wonderful. But it comes at a price.
Highly successful people develop and follow effective
systems. Would you want your doctor easily distracted or
being spontaneous in the middle of surgery? I don't think
so!
I encourage you to develop a system that works for you,
your personality, and in your circumstances. You must have
a system! It must help you focus. It must help you be clear
about your goals and consistent in your actions. It must
help you be productive and avoid repeating mistakes.
I've studied many types of systems over the years, and I
encourage you to experiment. But you can't afford to
experiment endlessly! Don't claim you are "searching for
the best system" when in fact you are avoiding the
structure and routine of systems altogether. Find a "good
enough" system and put it to work!
desired results. And, in the long-run, success depends on
the balance between chaos and order in your life. The more
order, structure, discipline and routine in your life, and
the more focused you are on your goals, the more likely you
will be successful. Chaos, on the other hand, is the enemy
of success!
In America, we are seeing this in the political campaigns.
Some candidates never seem to get organized. Their message
and their schedules are undisciplined, and they exit early.
Contrast that with the choreographed organization, planning
and precision of Pope Francis' visit this week. Success
comes from organization and effective systems!
Or another example. No one competes in the Olympics by
accident. Olympic athletes train and prepare every day for
years. They work with the best coaches and study the
techniques of the best competitors. They use computer
animation, slow-motion photography, and endless hours of
practice to get the smallest details just right.
I recently read a case-study about "structural precision"
at the Olympic Games. The dining facilities in the Olympic
Village are one example. Every day, they prepare thousands
of meals precisely tailored to each individual athlete's
specifications. Some athletes want more protein, some more
carbs. Others focus on specific nutrients, while others
need 10,000 calories a day to stay strong! Success at the
Olympic level depends on systems to get every detail right,
for every single competitor, every single day.
Chaos is the enemy of success.
To achieve your goals, you need systems that are as
complete and well-designed as you can make them.
Every researcher, every manufacturing process, every
successful sales presentation requires organization. Every
attorney has a strategy and a system for winning her case.
Every doctor follows a precise process to get an accurate
diagnosis.
And yet we live in a society that values spontaneity and
impulse gratification. I suspect all human beings are drawn
to "bright shiny objects." We love the new and the novel.
We are easily distracted. As the poet wrote, "the best laid
plans of mice and men go oft astray."
Many of us actively resist self-discipline and order in our
lives. We want to adjust our schedule on a moment's notice.
There's a sense of excitement in our daily surprises. As
much as we want success, we also want to be "free" and
spontaneous, and that's wonderful. But it comes at a price.
Highly successful people develop and follow effective
systems. Would you want your doctor easily distracted or
being spontaneous in the middle of surgery? I don't think
so!
I encourage you to develop a system that works for you,
your personality, and in your circumstances. You must have
a system! It must help you focus. It must help you be clear
about your goals and consistent in your actions. It must
help you be productive and avoid repeating mistakes.
I've studied many types of systems over the years, and I
encourage you to experiment. But you can't afford to
experiment endlessly! Don't claim you are "searching for
the best system" when in fact you are avoiding the
structure and routine of systems altogether. Find a "good
enough" system and put it to work!
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