100% Guaranteed
"100% Guaranteed!"
Yeah, right. You live long enough, you realize nothing is 100% guaranteed. That isn't pessimism. That is truth.
You've watched the movies and sat in the arenas to know that on any given day, the underdog has a chance to beat the favorite. We've cheered for Rocky on the steps, for Frodo Baggins on his quest, for Babe the pig on the farm — we love seeing the character overcome the odds to beat the unbeatable. You see it in business too: Apple starting in a garage, Netflix mailing DVDs before it ever streamed a single show, and my favorite, Ben & Jerry's scooping ice cream out of a VW van while fighting off distribution blockades. In real life, we root for the person to make the team, get into the school, land the role, beat the disease. We want to see the giant fall to the sling and the stone.
So why do we set goals in the first place? We want to visualize the end result. We want to actualize the milestones, resources, people, and time it will take to get there. When we do this well, we have a clear picture of the finish line and everything needed to reach it.
But here's the catch: winners and losers both have goals. Setting great goals doesn't guarantee success. Goals can be set metrically, factually, passionately, even emotionally. With that much diversity in how people set and chase them, what's the vehicle that actually carries you to the finish line?
Systems.
A system is defined as "a group of connected parts that work together to make a whole or do a specific job." The power of systems was captured for me by an unlikely source — a comedian. Jimmy Carr put it this way: "Your goals will be beaten by your systems every time." In other words, once you've identified the target and everything you need to hit it, you still have to have the system to achieve it. If you don't, the variables and challenges you face will be stronger than you. Your execution is only as strong as the systems it's built on. One of my mentors, Bud Taylor, used to say it this way: "Execution eats your strategy for lunch." Put it all together and you've got a strong principle: to reach your goal, you need to identify your resources, build an executable strategy, set on solid, repeatable systems. Like the pebble in the shoe, systems are invisible — but everyone sees the results.
I have a good friend who played golf at LSU. I'm still trying to understand the game, and he's endlessly kind and patient when we play. One time, after a disastrous round, he pulled me aside and gave me a picture I've never forgotten. "The difference between you and a scratch golfer," he said, "is that the ace golfer plays from the green to the tee. You don't do that."
He was right. I hit my tee shot and figured it out from there. He did it backwards. Scratch golfers get the pin placement for a tournament and go straight to the green. They putt around the hole and note the best spot to leave themselves an easy putt. To land the ball in that spot, they work out the distance and the club needed to get there. Then they work all the way back to the tee, based on yardage and par. They had the goal, they had the clubs, they had the strategy — but where were the systems?
Watch a golfer sometime. Their "system" for hitting a golf ball traces back to the ten thousand swings in practice, the countless hours putting, chipping, and drilling every part of the game. Each golfer has a routine they run over and over. The elite ones who can put it all together — goal, strategy, and system — give themselves the best chance to win. The systems put them in position. They don't guarantee the outcome.
Because we don't win every time. Life, business, sports, relationships, even our own selves — they all throw curveballs at our goals. That's why nothing is guaranteed. We can do everything right — set strong, achievable goals, gather the best resources, build a solid strategy, optimize our systems to the highest level — and still fall short. That's part of the journey.
Nothing is guaranteed. So build the system anyway. Show up to the practice green anyway. Because the goal doesn't win the fight — the system you built before the fight ever started does. And when your Goliath finally steps onto the field, you'll be ready to reach for the stone.
#JustAddWater #ChrisBonham #Leadership #Systems #GoalSetting #ExecutiveInnerLife #SoulCare
