Your Results Are Perfect for the System You’ve Created

Earlier this week I mentioned how everything we do, whether that’s taking action or remaining stuck where we are, is a commitment.

When I first mentioned this to someone on a coaching call, I gave them a really fun, powerful exercise to help the concept sink in and make it real for the person I was speaking to.

It’s called the Perfect System, an idea I’ve learned from some of my own coaches in the past.

But before we get to that, I need to lay some groundwork.

Right now as you read this, I want you to contemplate the idea that every result comes about from a set of actions, or systems. 

In order to write this article, there was a system I followed to create it: think of the topic, come up with a title, brainstorm some ideas, flesh those out with content and stories, find a suitable image, etc.

Similarly, everything else you do in your life, whether you realize it or not, is accomplished via the use of a system.

In other words, every result you’re currently getting is perfect for the system you’ve created to get it.

Yes, even the unwanted results.

But here’s the thing: if you’re not getting the results you desire, it has nothing to do with outside circumstances or who you are as a person. Therefore, you don’t need to change who you are or feel like a failure (please!). You simply need to create a new system.

In order to do so, let me come back to the Perfect System exercise I mentioned earlier.

What I want you to do is identify an area of your life or business where you’re not getting the results you desire.

As an example, let’s assume (correctly) that I’m trying to get 8 hours of sleep each night but always coming up short.

Next, write down the name of your system in a slightly sarcastic way, demonstrating your current results. Use the following formula: [Your Name]’s Perfect System for [current undesirable result you’re getting in an area you want to improve].

For example: “Bryan’s Perfect System for Consistently Getting Less Than 8 Hours of Sleep

Now, start to write down all the ways you’ve managed to create this undesirable result, as well as other ways you could get it (again, have a little fun, here).

Following my sleep example, I might have things like:

• Stick to your 5am wake-up time but stay up too late to make 8 hours
• Read past your bedtime
• Don’t stop thinking about work or creative ideas until you fall asleep
• Watch TV or stare at your phone until you fall asleep (this is definitely just an example – I NEVER do this!)
• Have an argument right before bed
• Drink caffeine within 10 hours of bedtime
• Eat a big meal right before bedtime
• Etc.

This is a pretty perfect system. If you find someone who wants poor sleep, send them my way. I’m an expert!

Jokes aside, what you’ll begin to notice are all the ways you’ve been preventing yourself from getting what you say you want, all because you’ve created a system that produces a different (your current) result.

And, armed with this awareness, you empower yourself to create a new system.

Remember, every system is perfect for the result it gets. And every result is perfect for the system you use to get it.

The next time you’re feeling like there’s something wrong with you for not getting the result you’re so desperately trying to achieve, look at the system you’ve created to get it and get to work creating a new one.