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Academics tend to be a goal-oriented bunch. That’s a good thing! Setting goals is crucial to success. But that’s only part of the story. There is a gap between the setting of a goal and its achievement. What comes in between? A well designed system. Goals tell you where you’re going. Your system tells you how to get there.

How assistant professor can establish systems to accomplish their goals

A system is a process or procedure for achieving a goal. Establishing a system for achieving a goal means constructing a series of actions or steps, and deciding how you will carry them out.

Suppose you have a goal of getting more exercise this semester. (I use this example because research shows that extracurricular physical activity may prevent and reduce burnout.) The first step is to clarify the goal, otherwise you won’t be able to establish the appropriate system to achieve it. What do you mean by “getting more exercise”? If you’re not currently exercising, then doing even 10 minutes a week of exercise would be enough.

Let’s say that you’re already exercising once or twice per week, but inconsistently (exercise is the first thing to fall off when the semester starts getting really busy, or when a writing deadline is looming). So you set a goal of exercising for at least an hour, four days per week, for the entire semester.

The next thing you need to decide is what kind of exercise you will be doing. Running? Cycling? Swimming? Lifting weights? Attending yoga class? Having a Lizzo dance party? When it comes to establishing a system, these details matter.

Say you’d like an equal balance of aerobic and anaerobic activity, so you decide that you’ll go for a 60-minute swim twice a week and attend a one-hour yoga class twice per week.

Where and when will you perform these activities? Maybe you teach at 10:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester. If you can drop your kids off at daycare by 8:00am, and be on campus by 8:30am, you’ll have time to swim from 8:45-9:45am, grab a quick shower and head to class.

What about yoga? You check out the schedule at the yoga studio within walking distance from your apartment, and see a 7:00pm vinyasa class on Fridays and Sundays with an instructor you like. You can be back in time to put the kids to bed. Perfect.

A good system anticipates obstacles

But your system is not yet complete. You’ve also got to include steps that enable you to easily follow through with your scheduled activities, especially when obstacles get in the way.

For me, a major obstacle is simply my memory. When the semester gets busy, I tend to forget plans. That’s why I like to put everything in my calendar, so I don’t accidentally schedule a meeting with a student when I plan to go for a run.

I don’t have kids, but I’ve been told that getting everyone ready and out of the house on time in the morning can be a challenge. In these circumstances, it’s pretty easy to forget things like your lunch or your swimsuit. This is another obstacle your system should anticipate by including an additional step: every Monday and Wednesday evening, after you put the kids to bed, you pack your gym bag and put it by the door or in the trunk of your car so you have everything you need to hop in the pool before class the next day.

Similarly, going to yoga class on Friday and Sunday evenings means someone else will need to be looking after the kids while you’re gone. If your spouse is out of the house or otherwise occupied on those evenings, then you’re not going to be doing warrior anything at 7:00pm. Again, this is yet an obstacle your system should anticipate by including additional steps: review your exercise schedule with your spouse at the beginning of the semester. You could also try putting your yoga classes in their calendar as well as yours (e.g., by using the “guests” feature in Google Calendar).

I won’t belabor this example any further (you’ve got a PhD, you’re a smart cookie). Whether your goals are personal (get more exercise) or professional (finish a first draft of your book manuscript), if you want to achieve them, don’t just ask yourself where you’re going (goal), ask how you’ll get there (system). The more specific your answers to these questions are, the more likely you’ll arrive at your destination.

tl;dr

Success isn’t just about setting goals. Goals are important, but without a system for achieving them, you’re less likely to succeed. A system is a series of actions or steps, and a procedure for how you will complete them. Good systems include steps that are specific, time-bound, and action-oriented. They also anticipate obstacles and include steps to avoid or overcome them.