The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game.

True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.

It's not Goals vs. Systems - it's both.

Set big goals.

But focus on creating the systems that make their achievement inevitable.

Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.

Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.

The purpose of setting a goal is not to hit the goal. The real purpose of setting a goal is to develop yourself into the type of person who can achieve your goals, regardless of whether you hit any particular one or not. Some goals you’ll reach, and some you won’t. It is who you become by giving it everything you have until the last moment — regardless of your results — that enables you to develop the mindset and behaviors that will help you achieve bigger and bigger goals for the rest of your life.

I don’t believe in specific goals.

Scott Adams famously said, 'Set up systems, not goals.' Use your judgment to figure out what kinds of environments you can thrive in, and then create an environment around you so you’re statistically likely to succeed.

Goals are for people who care about winning once.

Systems are for people who care about winning repeatedly.

I don’t believe in specific goals. Scott Adams famously said, Set up systems, not goals.' Use your judgment to figure out what kinds of environments you can thrive in, and then create an environment around you so you’re statistically likely to succeed.

Having well-defined goals is an essential art of any life plan. These goals should be recorded in writing, and should reflect both short-term and long-range planning. Short-term goals serve as landmarks along the journey. They are the small stepping stones that lead to the achievement of our long-term fortune and help us to stay on track over a long period of time.

Long-range goals serve as milestones. They are the points of achievement along the way that give us cause to celebrate the fruits of our efforts.

And while I don’t believe in mapping out each step of a career, I do believe it helps to have a long-term dream or goal. A long-term dream does not have to be realistic or even specific. It may reflect the desire to work in a particular field or to travel throughout the world. Maybe the dream is to have professional autonomy or a certain amount of free time. Maybe it’s to create something lasting or win a coveted prize. Some goals require more traditional paths; anyone who aspires to become a Supreme Court justice should probably start by attending law school. But even a vague goal can provide direction, a far-off guidepost to move toward.

Let me share with you an intriguing thought. The real value in setting goals is not in their achievement. The acquisition of the things you want is strictly secondary. The major reason for setting goals is to compel you to become the person it takes to achieve them. Let me explain:

Goal setting is the secret to a compelling future.

The real purpose of every goal you set is to become the type of person who can consistently set and achieve significant goals.