How To Make Progress So Fast It Feels Illegal

Summary

In this video, the speaker emphasizes the power of systems over motivation for achieving long-term success. Drawing from personal experiences, including weight loss and building successful businesses, they explain how creating repeatable, actionable systems can drive results. They break down the components of an effective system—trigger, process, and tracking—and highlight how removing decision fatigue and emotional resistance enhances efficiency. The speaker encourages viewers to audit and refine systems regularly to ensure continuous improvement and to stop relying on motivation alone. Ultimately, the goal is to build systems that work for you, offering freedom and sustained progress.

Takeaways

• 😀 Systems are more important than goals for achieving success. While goals may feel good, systems are what deliver consistent results over time.
• 😀 You fall to the level of the systems you create, not the level of your goals. Effective systems are essential for success, not motivation alone.
• 😀 Goals can be emotionally driven and limiting, while systems are execution-driven and focused on sustainable progress.
• 😀 Building a system requires a trigger, a clear process, and a way to track progress. A system must be repeatable and specific.
• 😀 Systems that work require removing emotional resistance and decision fatigue by making choices ahead of time, creating automaticity in execution.
• 😀 Replacing habits can be effective—like replacing unhealthy breakfast foods with a coffee and green drink system to stay on track.
• 😀 Tracking systems and auditing them regularly allows for constant improvement, making them more efficient and adaptable over time.
• 😀 Systems should be designed to reduce friction, making them easier to follow and adhere to, increasing the chances of long-term success.
• 😀 The more decisions you make ahead of time, the less emotional resistance you encounter. This approach allows you to run your system without burnout.
• 😀 The end goal of systems is not just efficiency but freedom. When systems run automatically, you can focus on growth and long-term results.
• 😀 Consistently executing systems and refining them leads to building trust with yourself. Motivation becomes secondary to system reliability and consistency.

Q & A

What is the main idea behind the speaker's argument about goals and systems?

The main idea is that while goals are important, they are often emotionally driven and limiting. Systems, on the other hand, are execution-driven and are what ultimately lead to consistent results. The speaker emphasizes that you don’t rise to the level of your goals but fall to the level of the systems you put in place.

How does the speaker differentiate between goals and systems?

The speaker explains that goals are like a compass, providing direction, whereas systems are the means—like a car or plane—that actually take you to the destination. Goals are emotionally driven and often vague, while systems are about execution and are repeatable, leading to long-term success.

Why does the speaker believe motivation is not the key to success?

The speaker argues that most people don’t have a motivation problem; they have a systems problem. Motivation is fleeting and unreliable, whereas well-structured systems are repeatable and reliable, delivering consistent results regardless of motivation.

What is the significance of the speaker’s weight loss experience in relation to systems?

The speaker uses their own experience of losing 85 lbs to illustrate the power of systems. They emphasize that the key to success was not the desire to lose weight but the systems they put in place to achieve it. These systems, once established, could be applied to other areas of life, including business.

What are the three key components to making a system repeatable?

The three key components to making a system repeatable are: 1) a trigger, which prompts the system to start; 2) a process, which details the steps of the system; and 3) tracking, which ensures that the system is being followed and is effective.

What example does the speaker provide to explain how to make a system repeatable?

The speaker gives the example of their morning coffee routine. The trigger is waking up and making coffee, the process involves taking vitamins and drinking a green drink, and the tracking involves noticing the outcome (feeling full and not craving junk food).

How does the speaker handle emotional resistance when following a system?

The speaker suggests eliminating emotional resistance by making decisions ahead of time. For example, in dieting, having meals pre-made removes the need for emotional decision-making, making the system easier to follow.

Why does the speaker suggest a 'Monday hour 1' system?

The 'Monday hour 1' system is a weekly planning ritual where the speaker prepares for the upcoming week. This system is used to review the past week’s performance, ensuring consistent progress. It serves as a trigger, a process, and a way to track progress for future improvements.

What is the role of 'systems audits' in improving personal or business systems?

A 'systems audit' is a process of reviewing and analyzing how well a system is working. The goal is to identify what’s working and what isn’t, so that the system can be refined and improved. This process of continual improvement leads to more effective systems over time.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between systems and freedom?

The speaker argues that the true goal of systems is not efficiency, but freedom. Well-designed systems allow tasks to run without requiring constant mental effort or decision-making, freeing up time and energy for other important areas of life.