Contributed post
Many of us labour on for years in the world of conventional work, and then wake up one day to discover that we’re completely fed up with having to answer to a boss every day, dress up according to office norms, and have the structures of our day determined for us by others.
At this moment, some people will inevitably decide to become entrepreneurs, and will embark on a mission to forge their own businesses, and become successfully self-employed in their own right.
For the budding entrepreneur, there’s a lot to take in, and a lot to think about. There are an almost unlimited number of books and courses out there promising to teach you the perfect marketing secret, or the ultimate key to workplace productivity.
This article will make one simple point:
When you’re starting out as an entrepreneur, systems are key. Here are some reasons why.
Systems are resilient in the face of uncertainty; goals aren’t
Fundamentally, a system is a sort of semi-automated routine or habit that you enact on a regular basis. A system is structured so as to provide you with the best possible odds of growing and benefiting over time. But when you put the system into effect, you carry out the system for its own sake.
A goal, on the other hand, is a specific target that you set at some point in the future, and specify with great care.
The reason why systems are more important than goals (not to say that goals don’t have their place) is that systems are resilient in the face of uncertainty and goals aren’t.
If your goal is to make a million dollars in one year, a recession or major industry event could thwart it. If you follow a system, on the other hand, you can keep executing the system, with minor tweaks, day by day — improving your situation incrementally.
Systems can defuse many potential issues before they arise
A WHS management system is a popular way of addressing and dealing with possible disasters on the job, in large part because such disasters are often the result of small risk factors that increase over time.
A system to counteract those risks can, therefore, avert much disaster.
Systems are ongoing, regular, and routine, meaning that they can address issues in your professional environment regularly and repeatedly, to avert potential catastrophes.
Without these systems you might well keep moving on, focused on your great goal, and overlook these small issues until they become major.
Systems are well-suited to learning and developing from setbacks
Failure and setbacks are inevitable in the life of an entrepreneur, and it’s very telling that even the most successful and influential entrepreneurs in the world — people like Richard Branson — frequently have a large number of failed ventures under their belt.
A systems-oriented approach makes you more likely to remain resilient in the face of such troubles, and puts you in a position to learn from them and grow.
If your goal was to become a bestselling author with your first book, and your first book flops, you’ll likely be crushed and disheartened.
If you subscribe to a system of doing a certain amount of writing per day come rain or shine, on the other hand, you’ll be more likely to stay on track.