Introduction to Systems

Dictionary describes “Systems” as a set of interdependent or interrelated parts of a mechanism working together to function as a whole. Similarly, humans by definition are organisms comprised of interdependent living parts that function together based on systems.
The Systems I will talk about here are at the very core of our psychological nature and are the key factor in developing positive habits.

Systems are the processes that form Habits
Think of the Systems as recipes to implement new habits.
If Systems are the recipes then habits are the ingredients and the meals we prepare with them become our goals.
Habits are the ingredients. They are the knowledge we find in self-help books, videos and courses that promise to help us reach our goals. What they are often missing is the right recipe to make them compatible with our lives.
Goals are the meals we prepare using the ingredients, they are only as good as the recipes we follow.
Systems form habits that help us reach our goals and continue far beyond that. Unlike goals, Systems don’t have an end, they carry on to deliver progress at a rate we can control and are comfortable with. Systems are small deliberate changes we make over time that are accepted by our minds as the new normal.

Resistance to Change
Our intelligence and technology have evolved significantly over thousands of years, but the science shows there hasn’t been much progress in human cognitive evolution. We are still human version 1.0. We use the same subconscious mechanisms that protected our cavemen ancestors from the imminent danger. One of those is resistance to change, which has surely kept us safe by following the same routines in the distant past. Today however we’re trying to break through those overprotective traps rooted in our minds.
The only way to implement lasting improvement is to introduce changes on a marginal level to ensure our mind doesn’t put up a barrier. This is also why it’s important to observe our thoughts and become aware of our automatic responses which as a result will increase our tolerance for change overall.

How to use Systems
Recently this method made a media debut when the British cycling team began to dominate the world stage of track and road cycling events directly credited to implementing a series of small improvements. Making only 1% performance enhancements the Olympic track cycling team with a low record of only a single win in 76 years, took 7 of 10 gold medals in that discipline during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They continued their success in the following London 2012 Olympics. When the same formula was applied to their Tour de France team, the British for the first time won that prestigious cycling race 7 out of 8 times (between 2012 and 2019).
Systems don’t only apply to the Olympic teams, small changes can significantly influence anyone’s life.
Self-observation and identifying the right problems play a major role as they help us shift our thinking from the typical goal-setting to implementing more attainable changes that compound exponentially over time.
Say you want to lose weight. Take some time to analyze the reasons why you want to lose weight in the first place. Understanding your motivation will positively influence your dedication later on. You may determine that your desire to lose weight in fact meant that you want to be more healthy. The motivation behind becoming healthier can be significantly more compelling than just losing weight.
Next, you may look at your past attempts at various diets. Complete meal replacement plans or calorie counting may have not worked in the past. This time using the Systems mindset you determine that you’re able to substitute some of the foods you eat with more nutritious ones and you will slowly reduce how late you eat and how early you start. You choose to gradually use less sugar, substitute starchy foods with green vegetables and begin to skip late snacks or one of the meals. You continue to observe your mind's reaction as you experiment with different dietary tweaks. Sometimes you may have to back off then turn it up again, but once you see the positive results coming from the small changes and your new habits becoming permanent, your increased confidence and motivation will keep you engaged. Naturally, you may neglect one of your Systems once in a while, but that shouldn't disappoint as you can easily pick you up where you left off.

Systems can be applied to everything we do and greatly improve our success. Rather than following yet another craze let’s change the usual approach. We can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results. Every day create a little better version of yourself.
Observe. Improve. Repeat