Why goal setting doesn't help you improve your academic performance

In a world where academic achievement is often measured by the narrow margins of grades and rankings, the conventional wisdom advocates for setting sky-high goals as the pathway to success.

However, inspired by the most recent book I’m reading, "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" by Scott Adams, I've come to believe that it's not setting goals that get you academic success. It's all about the system.

Goal setting makes you a loser

I have failed so many times.

In fact, in a goal-setting environment, the outcome is almost always a failure since you’ll set up one goal after another until achieving it becomes extremely difficult. In addition, you’re in a perpetual “failure state” until you achieve each of them.

Throughout my middle school years, I wanted to achieve the highest average grade in my class of 45 students. I made it.

And then I raised my ambitions to achieve the highest average grade across the entire grade of 500 students. I fell short, although I was pretty close at times.

I went to what is arguably the best high school in Korea. The majority of my friends were the top academic performers in their middle schools.

I had to lower my expectations here: I set a goal to be top 30%. Never made it.

I pursued my Master's in Data Science at Harvard. I wanted to be top 30% and work at Google or Facebook. Never made it.

Throughout three decades of my life, fleeting moments of happiness graced the rare occasions when I achieved my goals. However, for the most part, I experienced significant pressure to meet these aspirations.

No wonder 30% of students at Harvard have anxiety disorders (Source).

Goal setting makes you overlook other important aspects.

Goal setting often comes with the unintended consequence of tunnel vision.

For instance, a relentless concentration on academic achievements might result in diminished attention to personal relationships, health, and hobbies.

I regret not having enough sleep during my high school years. I suffered from eczema caused by a lack of sleep and academic stress.

Furthermore, chasing goals non-stop meant I barely had time to figure out my genuine interests. It wasn’t until recently that I found out how much I enjoy teaching, writing, and being a positive force for the next generation of students like you.

The power of systems

The antidote to this relentless goal-setting treadmill is a system, a repeatable process that focuses on consistent effort over outcomes.

For students, this might translate into daily habits such as dedicating specific hours to study, committing to regular reading, and ensuring adequate sleep.

Here’s my system today:

Note that my system is pretty simple, but reading, writing, and having 7+ hours of sleep are the backbones of my system.

I could aim to read 100 books a year or write three articles per week, but such goals might not only prevent me from giving my all due to the pressure but also strip the joy from reading and writing.

Of course, there are days when I have other commitments, such as enhancing the website, teaching, or mentoring. However, I make an effort to maintain my system even on those days.

The result? I now feel significantly less pressure and have improved in reading and writing. This is because I’ve adopted a growth mindset, where the emphasis is on incremental improvement and the joy of learning.

I've discovered that I spend more time researching ways to enhance my writing during my free time. This shift wouldn't have been possible if my attention had been solely fixed on publishing three articles a week, a very specific goal.

The system is different from the schedule

Adhering to a strict schedule is different from having a system. My workday might kick off at 7:30 am instead of at 7:00 am, or I might wrap up at 5:00 pm instead of stretching until 5:30 pm.

The key is to make it a daily practice.

I have a few suggestions for you:

1. Complete the most difficult and creative task first

Whether you begin your day early in the morning or later in the afternoon, your brain's capacity is limited. As a result, tackling the most demanding tasks early in your schedule allows you to complete them more effectively.

2. Tackle more mundane tasks in the evening

Likewise, as your brain tends to be more fatigued in the evening, you'll likely have tasks or homework that demand minimal mental effort. These are best saved for nighttime.

3. Never compromise on your sleep

In most cases, even during the exam period, getting enough sleep is more beneficial than cutting into your rest to cram in more study time.

During sleep, your brain processes and consolidates the day's learning, making it easier to recall information later. It’s also a time when the body keeps you healthy and energized the next day.

If you spend too much time scrolling Instagram or YouTube, I dare to say, it’s better to to stick to your sleep schedule and study less, rather than sacrificing sleep to study more.

Conclusion

Whether you follow a goal-setting framework or develop your system, you have to put serious effort into your academic success.

However, if you follow the system-first approach, you’ll have a different perspective. You’ll foster a daily study habit and focus on daily improvement, rather than doing whatever it takes to achieve your goal.

You'll come to realize that what truly becomes valuable and celebratory is the journey itself, marked by perseverance, hard work, and discipline, not just the attainment of your life's grandest ambition.