You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
James Clear
Do you honor the systems in your life?
In democracy we talk about how essential it is to keep the constitution sacred and obey the rule of law.
But what about at the personal level? Your “constitution”?
Your personal values — the things you [claim to] believe in.
Do you prioritize what you say is important to you?
Your systems are the structures you put in place to consistently ensure you live the best life possible in accordance with your values.
Look at the country level. You have so many critical systems like:
- Sanitation
- Security and defence
- Finance
- Food and drugs
Then you have laws to support these systems like:
- Litter laws
- Gun laws
- Tax laws
- Food manufacturing regulations
When a country is broken, it means that one or more of these systems are failing. Thanks to things like corruption.
The most successful countries have great laws and powerful systems that work.
The constitution is sacred and respected. Corruption is low and the various ministries function properly.
In the same way if you want to be successful, you need to have laws and systems that work.
Laws and habits
- Sanitation: Brushing your teeth, flossing (gotta do it!), regular baths
- Security: Having a good password manager (digital), installing a video doorbell in your home (physical)
- Finance: Budgeting
- Food: Eating your fruits and vegetables, drinking enough water, etc.
And what are the personal values powering these laws:
- Quality of life (cleanliness and visual order)
- Quality of life (safety)
- Freedom (financial)
- Quality of life (health)
Without them your life tends towards entropy, uncertainty… chaos.
With them you have stability, predictability, order, peace.
To keep your life in check, you must treat these systems like your personal constitution.
They are your rule of law, transcendent values to be obeyed.
Don’t obey people. Obey values.
And the more you treat these values with uncompromising seriousness, the easier it gets to obey them over time.
Wanna go to the gym but it’s raining? Um, okay. Go.
Time to floss but you hate it? Yeah, it’s time. Start.
When you do something in spite of the conflicting negative emotions, you’re sending a crucial message to your subconscious:
This is important.
Important enough to override your natural tendency to seek comfort.
The next time it gets a bit easier. And easier. Habits stick.
Eventually you adapt to these systems and accept them as a core part of life.
Your natural autopilot kicks, keeping your life in balance and giving you space to focus on exciting creative activities and discovering life.
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