Today, we are talking about the importance of the micro. We all know to focus on the macro, the big picture, and the success we aim to achieve one day. While this can look different for everybody (mine's freedom and a Porsche 911 GT3RS), we all have an idea of it in our heads. So why am I talking so much about the bigger picture if the title alludes to details? You'll see (enjoy the suspense).
All right, enough suspense. Understanding the bigger picture is what gives us our goals. See, freedom and the Porsche are my bigger-picture goals, which can be achieved through many means. But I know that once freedom is achieved through money, most people struggle with a purpose because the drive for money is now gone, and in its place is a drive for service. For me, that service is medicine. Helping people while growing a business will make me feel fulfilled and impact this world. I know this about myself, and this is my macro. Only after understanding this can I now explain the micro.
The micro is a concept most of us ignore. I did for a long time, too. We get so focused on our goals that we must remember to start working towards them. How many of you are working towards your New Year's resolutions? Maybe a handful? The point is that we need to focus on the systems that help us achieve that goal. To paraphrase something I heard on Modern Wisdom, We don't rise to the level of our goals; we rise to the level of our systems. I love this because it explains my point perfectly. With systems that focus on the micro, the macro will always be within reach.
Let me give you an example. As I told you guys in the last post, one of my goals is to reach 12% body fat from 18%. I love to eat out but still want to maintain a healthy diet. So, I have my goal in place, but if I didn't have systems that prevented me from overeating and indulging, the goal would never be reached. So, I set up systems that aligned with my goals. I dropped my lifting sessions to 3-4 times a week to not lose too much muscle mass. To focus on food, I make my lunch before going to university, but I always treat myself to an Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso from Starbucks (It'll make you feel like you're watching a Ryan Reynold's movie - pure happiness). I have a list of food options from Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and Jack in the Box that I can eat at and stay within my goals. These are my systems. They ensure I stay within my goals and keep me in check. These systems are the details.
Wow, I finally made it full circle. It's important to see that our goals are the macro, and the systems are the micro. They help us focus on the details, which is how we reach our goals. If the details aren't noticed, goals are never reached. If you don't vibe (yes, I used this word; the Gen Z in me is coming out) with the gym example, maybe you'll vibe with a movie example: The Big Short.
In the movie, which, by the way, if you have not seen, you should, the main characters decide to go against the real estate market in 2007. This was the peak of the market almost ever in U.S. history, but noticing the details, they realized this peak would not be sustainable due to the method of the loans being given out and the interest rates at the time. This peak turned into a bubble, and it popped in 2008 (I still regret not buying a house at this time, but I was five years old, so...). This led to one of the most excellent profits in the stock market ever. How though? They were traders, and money was their goal, their macro. They focused on the micro, noticed the market details, took a bet, and hit it big. These are the details, the micro that helped them achieve it.
So, how can you achieve your macros? Don't always bet against the market; I am not advising you about that (unless you're a character from billions). You achieve your macros by focusing on the...say it with me...by focusing on the micro. Set up systems that help you achieve your goals. Let's take a hypothetical example using you, the reader. Let's say you want to wake up at 5 am; this is your macro. So, what would your system be?
Go to bed by 10:30 pm at the latest
No bright lights one hour before bed
Use a loud alarm on the far side of your bedroom (if you have a big bedroom, maybe not too far. Also, lucky you.)
Play music after turning off the damn alarm (we all know that feeling)
Just turn on a light
This is your system. A set of fixed steps you follow that will help you reset your circadian rhythm and wake up early. Remember, the simplest of systems are the ones that win. Just like that girl's number you've been trying to get. Stop trying so hard, and maybe she'll notice you. But getting back to the point, the simpler the system, the easier it is to follow and maintain its protocol. This will allow you to have small stepping stones towards the macro, the major goal of your life.
Only a simple and successful system will lead to success. Overcomplicated systems will lead to failure, trust me. For example, I wanted to read more books, so I set up a notion page (try it if you haven't, and then tell me otherwise). The page, though, tracked authors, the day I started reading, pages read, the book's status, summaries, and so much more. It got so hard and honestly became too much work that I just stopped reading because I didn't want to deal with it. But then I came back to it a couple of weeks later and reduced it to 4 things. Status, summaries, category of book, and a picture of it. That's all. I kept it simple and easy to follow, and I've read almost four books in the last month.
A simple system will allow for a simple micro, and keeping it easy to follow will make the details more perceivable and easy to follow. This will allow for significant success in whichever goal you choose. Remember, the micro is the journey you will take, and as always, what's more important? The journey or destination? The journey. An epic journey is worth more than the destination alone.