Chapter 5: Systems

Chapter 5, Creating Systems That Work. Manon Rhéaume was the first woman to play in an American men's sports league. She signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992 and played in exhibition games until signing her first professional contract that same year with the IHL team, the Atlanta Knights. Rhéaume had a huge dream to accomplish something no woman had ever accomplished before. But she had a plan to get there. Manon Rhiaume, the first woman to play in an American men's pro sports league, 2021. Rhiaume said, if you do the right things long enough, the right things will happen. Do you ever feel like you're just spinning your wheels? That no matter how hard you work, you just can't seem to get ahead? You're not alone. Many athletes feel this way. The way to achieve goals is by creating systems that work. The good news is that there are specific steps you can take to create those systems. In Atomic Habits, James Clear writes, you do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there. Clear, 2018. Before you start setting goals, it's important to take a look at your current systems and how they work for you or if they fail you. Create daily habits and rituals. Daily habits are important because they are the building blocks that help your system. They are the things that you do every day that will help you reach your goals. If your habits are inconsistent or if they don't align with your goals and values, you will not be able to achieve success. Let's start by looking at your daily habits. What does a typical day look like for you? What does your typical day look like in the morning? What are your typical activities? What does your typical day look like in the Afternoon, what are your typical activities? What does your typical day look like in the evening? What are your typical activities? Think back to the self-assessment that you took and apply those values here. Now think back to your short-term goals from Chapter 4. Apply them to what your typical day should look like. What responsibilities do you have each day? Do your daily habits reflect your goals, values, and responsibilities? If not, it's time to establish a better daily routine. A habit is a routine or behavior that you perform regularly. It can be something as simple as brushing your teeth every day or as complex as maintaining your responsibilities at school, home, and work. Creating a daily routine can help you become more productive, efficient, and effective. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety, but most importantly, It can help you achieve your goals and maintain a healthy mindset. Establish a daily routine. A good morning routine helps you get the day started off on the right foot. It sets the tone for the day and gets you in the right mindset to achieve your goals. However, a good morning routine doesn't start in the morning. It starts the night before. An evening routine is just as important as a morning routine. It helps you wind down from the day and prepare you for a good night's sleep. This is important Because quality sleep is essential for optimal performance. We will cover more about sleep in a later chapter. Creating an evening routine starts with setting a bedtime. This is the time you plan to be in bed and asleep. Your bedtime should be based on the time you need to wake up. If you need to wake up at 6 AM, your bedtime should be right around 8 hours before, so 10 PM. Once you have a bedtime, start working backward to create your evening routine. For example, If your bedtime is 10 PM, you may want to start getting ready for bed at 9 PM. This gives you time to brush your teeth, wash your face, and take care of any nighttime responsibilities. This is also a good time to consider any nighttime rituals that will help you relax and wind down, such as visualizing your goals, meditating, reading, or listening to music. After you have a general idea of your evening routine, It's time to start filling in the details. Bedtime. What are your responsibilities? What are your bedtime habits? What are your bedtime rituals? Now, let's start planning your morning routine. Your morning should include 3 main components: physical activity, breakfast, and your daily goal setting. Your physical activity can be anything from a walk around the block to a full workout at the gym. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you get your body moving. Breakfast is important because it breaks the overnight fast and gives you energy for the day. It doesn't have to be a big meal, but it should be something that will give you sustained energy. We will talk more about fueling your body through nutrition in a later chapter. Your goal setting should include writing down your top priority for the day and creating a plan of action to achieve it. This is important because it helps you stay focused on your goals and values. For morning goals, what is your physical activity? Now that you have a plan to start and end each day, you can start planning your day to achieve your goals. Start by looking at your daily schedule and identify any free time you have. This is the time that you can use to establish new habits or rituals through your short-term goals. Then, decide what activities you will do during this time. You don't form new habits overnight. It takes time Time, effort, and consistency. But if you stick with it, eventually it will become a part of your daily routine, and before you know it, you will be one step closer to achieving your goals. Remember, your goal is to establish a daily routine that reflects your goals, values, and responsibilities. So take some time to plan your days, weeks, and months accordingly. And don't forget to have some fun along the way. Don't forget that your systems are always in motion. They will need to be adjusted as your life changes. The goal is to find a system that works for you and stick with it, then adjust it as needed.