Don’t set goals, do this instead.
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Hi friends, Happy 2026. I hope you're having a wonderful start to the year! For January, we'll be re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. This year, I'm trying something a little different for the book club. Instead of deciding which book to read before the month starts, I'm creating a schedule for the entire year in advance. It is subject to change, but my intention is to stick with this schedule. — Maneet Weekly DiscussionWhat's one goal you have for 2026? What's the system behind it?
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Prefer to share privately? Just hit reply and tell me your answer — I read every response. What are your thoughts on re-reading books? Every January for the past few years, I’ve found myself re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. This marks the third time I’m reading this book. It’s clearly one of my favorites, and I feel that it’s one of the best books somebody can read in January when setting new goals. It’s amazing how I learn something new from this book each time I pick it up. I just finished the first couple of chapters, and I’ve already been reminded of something that I forgot: Stop setting goals. Focus on systems instead. If you’re like me, January is the time of year when I set ambitious goals for the year ahead. This year, a few of my goals include being more consistent on YouTube, running every week, and memorizing some of my daily Sikh prayers. However, something I didn’t do (until I began reading Atomic Habits again) was reflect on the system behind these goals. I’ve been very focused on what my outcomes will ideally look like at the end of 2026, but I haven’t put much thought into the process of getting there. A central lesson of this book is to focus on the system behind your goals. In fact, if the only thing we do is focus on the system, the outcomes will almost always take care of themselves. So, what do I mean by focusing on the system or process? Well, let’s take my goal of publishing a new YouTube video every week as an example. This, by itself, is a fine goal. An admirable one. But without a system, I probably won’t make it far. What does it mean to actually publish a new YouTube video every week? Let’s start by being a bit more specific. I want to publish a new YouTube video every Tuesday at 11 a.m. EST. Breaking it down even further, I will script new videos throughout the week and reserve Saturday afternoons as my filming day. Now that is a system. If I focus all my energy on maintaining this process, my goal of publishing more YouTube videos will naturally be the result. Here’s another example: I want to maintain and increase my running in 2026. Instead of setting a goal to run a certain distance or complete a specific race, I’m focusing entirely on the process behind running instead. My system will be to run in the mornings before work, five days a week. Tuesday and Thursday will be my rest days (since I have other commitments on those days), and I’ll use Sunday as my “long run” day. The distance or pace I run can vary each time, but what matters most is staying consistent with my schedule. All of this sounds super boring compared to setting big and audacious goals. It's tempting to set resolutions like "reach 100,000 YouTube subscribers" or "run a marathon." But being boring is the point. Focusing on systems and small 1 percent improvements makes all the difference. The big milestones will be a natural part of the process if you follow the system. This quote sums it up well: Too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action. Whether it is losing weight, building a business, writing a book, winning a championship, or achieving any other goal, we put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that everyone will talk about. Meanwhile, improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. I’d love to hear from you. What’s a goal you have for 2026? More specifically, what’s the system behind your goal? Reply and let me know! Help Keep This Book Club Going If you're in a position to support my work and help keep this book club free for everyone, I hope you'll consider joining me over on Patreon. For $5 a month, you'll gain access to a bunch of exclusive behind-the-scenes content and get to know me a bit more on a personal level. I do my best to share the good, bad, and everything in-between. Every contribution makes a huge difference. Thank you for supporting a small creator like me, it means the world. Weekly YouTube Video🎬 Amazon brings BACK book downloads…sort of? Amazon just announced they’re bringing back Kindle book downloads, but there’s a big catch. I made a video walking through what actually changed, how DRM factors into this decision, and why most books will probably stay locked down anyway. If you’ve ever cared about owning your ebooks or reading outside the Kindle ecosystem, this one’s worth watching. Three ways I can help you...🎬 Check out my latest YouTube video. My channel is all about Book Tech and using technology to live an intentional life. 📖 Need something new to read? Check out all the books I've written and support my work along the way. 📚 Check out the Presently Reading book log. It is a complete list of every book we've read in the book club since I started it. |
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