Why Children Need Systems Instead of Goals
“In life our first job is this, to divide and distinguish things into two categories: externals I cannot control, but the choices I make with regard to them I do control. Where will I find good and bad? In me, in my choices.”
Almost paradoxically, Nick Saban—widely considered one of the greatest college football coaches of all time—specifically instructs his players not to focus on winning. Instead, Saban teaches The Process. Says Saban:
“Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship. Don’t think about the national championship. Think about what you need to do in this drill, on this play, in this moment. That’s the process: Let’s think about what we can do today, the task at hand.”
The Process is a focus on the present—one step at a time, not giving in to distraction or disorder. Attention given to outcomes (like the scoreboard, postseason awards, or the approval of fans) is attention given to the uncontrollable. The Process focuses on doing what is controllable right now, and doing it well—workouts, practices, drills, plays, blocks. When Saban’s players follow The Process, the desired outcomes naturally follow. But why should the parents of school-age children care?
Inputs vs. outputs
When it comes to our children’s academics, the same approach works. Experts agree on the importance of goals, but ambitious goals—items like straight As in AP classes or a perfect score on the SAT—can become intimidating, confusing, and ultimately abandoned without a reasonable and actionable plan to achieve them. A 2011 Harvard University study on educational incentives found that students who aim to improve their academic inputs (i.e. attendance, completing assignments, and reading books) largely outperform those who focus on outputs (i.e. grades and test scores).
The study, which involved 200+ schools and more than 20,000 children, concluded that students in the input programs were successful because their incentive was connected to a controllable lever. Children have control over finishing their daily assignments, reading books, and being on time to class. In interviews with students in the output programs, however, researchers found that students had little idea of how to boost their grades and test scores. Despite their enthusiasm about the incentives ($50 for every A on their report cards, $25 for a perfect score on a test, etc.), when asked how they would improve, student responses ranged from, “I’m going to focus,” to “I will try harder,” to “I plan to read the test questions more carefully.” Rarely did these students answer that they intended to attend study sessions after school, complete homework assignments, or ask teachers for help with challenging material. In other words, the “controllables.”
Goals vs. systems
Bestselling author and Dilbert creator Scott Adams has another way of looking at inputs and outputs: goals vs. systems. “A goal is a specific objective that you either achieve or don’t sometime in the future,” Adams writes. “A system is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of happiness in the long run.”
Adams, whose personal systems have served him well, has strong opinions on the matter:
“To put it bluntly, goals are for losers. That’s literally true most of the time. For example, if your goal is to lose ten pounds, you will spend every moment until you reach the goal—if you reach it at all—feeling as if you were short of your goal. In other words, goal-oriented people exist in a state of nearly continuous failure that they hope will be temporary. That feeling wears on you. In time, it becomes heavy and uncomfortable. It might even drive you out of the game.”
Our children don’t directly control who the valedictorian is, which colleges accept them, or what the teacher thinks of the essay once it’s turned in. They do have control, however, over creating systems that maximize their chances for success—systems like morning routines and study habits.
Recommendations for success
The most effective systems vary from person to person, child to child, but researchers have uncovered several inputs that have proven to be helpful when creating systems for academic success. Consider guiding your child to:
Set a schedule and stick to it. Countless studies have found that setting a daily/weekly schedule helps students to understand what they can realistically achieve with their time. It also ensures that they have enough time for important tasks and can achieve a healthy school-life balance.
Maintain a study space. A system involving a quiet room with a clutter-free desk will be more effective than one involving homework on the bed, television on in the background, and other people coming in and out of the room.
Associate with successful people. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn has pointed out, we are the average of the five people we associate with the most. Help your children choose their friends wisely.
Avoid multitasking. In fact, there may be no such thing as multitasking. Children, much like adults, might think they’re able to concentrate while their phones vibrate next to them, but they are mistaken. As bestselling author Cal Newport has noted, the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our world. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill and make it the core of their working life will thrive.
Write it all down. New systems are 42% more likely to stick if written down. Encourage children to post their systems somewhere where they can see them every day (a bathroom mirror, bedside table, etc.).
In his book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Scott Adams shares some of the best advice he’s ever received: “If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it.” This may sound rather obvious, but helping our children to unpack this idea can be powerful. To effectively pursue what they determine to be success, they’re going to need a system of inputs. Then they’ll have The Process.
A career educator, Sean Galvin holds a PhD in Education from Eastern Michigan University and a Master's in Education from the University of Michigan. Currently a middle school teacher for Battle Creek Public Schools, he has taught and run student mentorship and enrichment programs at both the high school and middle school levels. His dissertation covers the role of mentorship and student incentives in driving learning outcomes.