Friday’s Findings: Goals or Systems?

I’ll be honest with you. I did not achieve my writing goals this year. I have no one to blame but myself. Being the end of the year, I thought about how I could do better in the year to come. So, I consulted with my friend, a book called The Atomic Habits.

I’ve discussed The Atomic Habits before in this blog and how this book can help writers. Toward the end of the book, author James Clear discusses goals versus systems. He says goals are great, but they are only guideposts. Once I reach a goal, I stop.

He claims it’s better to have a system in place to focus on. I should use goals to measure how I’m doing, but I should also focus on a process to achieve those goals.

How can I apply this to my writing and reading for 2025?

• Writing
  My system will be to have writing sprints in the morning and afternoon. My goal is to finish the draft of my current WIP.
• Reading
  My system will be to read for 20 minutes in the evenings. Also, I listen to audiobooks at my desk when I can. My goal is to read 42 books in 2025.

Here are the links to my past discussions about using The Atomic Habits for writing:

• How Exactly Do the Atomic Habits Help Writers?
• Is “Atomic Habits” Helpful for Writers?

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Friday’s Findings

• How to Hit the Ground Running with Your Writing Goals in 2025
• My Writing Goals For 2025
• Setting My 2025 Writing Goals
• What Are Your Writer \ Life Goals for 2025?
• Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 1] — Looking Back

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Photo by Engin Akyurt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-dart-hitting-the-board-s-bullseye-13179775/

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