017 - Why Big Dreams Need Small Systems

I have a terrible time with my massive goals. Not because they are massive, but because I lose focus on the now (I need to reread that one book). It’s not that I think they’re "improbable"—quite the opposite, actually. I have a deep feeling it’s all a matter of space and time.

I struggle with the "Butterfly Effect" of achieving big goals—of chipping away at something bigger. Of batting my wings now so that in 5 or 10 years, I can reap the benefits. Like the flapping of tiny butterfly wings, small actions and routines consistently build small wins that eventually create the right kind of chaos to make big things happen. I know this.

Problem number one is defining the small actions. This is where most people get confused. Ironically, not me—I know the actions. But I’m too hasty; I keep trying to skip steps. I act fast, and the delay bores me. I have the systems, I have the rails...

Problem number two is timing. If you don’t have the life you want, it’s because you haven’t yet become the person who lives that life.

I say this often (and I think I use this quote in almost everything I write): habitualness creates personality. Your routine, your habits, your decisions, your tiny actions, and even your beliefs—they all reflect the life you have now, and consequently, the person you are now.

I’m learning to embrace incremental progress—_smaller_ progress. Just as important, I’m learning to recognize it. This isn’t always easy. By the time Friday rolls around, I’m often fatigued, disheartened, and impatient. I know it’s about shifting perspective—pausing, looking, and seeing. Slowing down. That’s why people keep gratitude journals, by the way. I’m not quite there yet (but I should be).

For all of this, I use my systems as accountability partners. Your systems need to act as guardrails, ensuring you’re doing what you’ve committed to (even if those commitments evolve). They ensure that your daily efforts align with your bigger goals.

And here comes problem number three: defining and reverse-engineering those smaller increments of goals.

No one can tell you the exact “what” or “how” of these smaller steps—whether they’re actions, habits, or routines. You need to figure out what you’re capable of right now. Someone who’s already achieved what you’re aiming for can help guide you, but the clarity has to come from you first.

If your goal is to make 10k a week, start with 100 a week. Hit that, document it, learn from it, then slowly increase. (That’s where I struggle—this slow incrementation. I’m impatient.) Eventually, you’ll surpass the 10k.

Big dreams need small systems to chip away at them. Millions of years aren’t just made up of days but milliseconds. Milliseconds are what form the vast system of space and time—a concept so mind-boggling, yet it has shaped our very existence.

Big dreams need small actions—actions rooted in clarity, order, and vision. That’s what a small but robust system gives you. The compound effect of a millisecond can change your life entirely.