Let's break down some of the more complex words and phrases in the text.

Entrench

The phrase "roots entrench themselves" means the roots of a habit become deeply and firmly established, making them difficult to remove. Think of a soldier "entrenched" in a trench; they're dug in and not going anywhere. The word comes from the Old French trencher, meaning "to cut, carve," and later evolved to describe cutting a trench or a ditch. In the context of habits, it suggests the habit has become a permanent part of your life.

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Plateau of Latent Potential

The "Plateau of Latent Potential" is a powerful metaphor for the period of time when you're working hard on something but don't see any immediate results. It's the "valley of disappointment" mentioned in the previous text. During this phase, you're building up skills and efforts (your latent potential), but the significant progress, or breakthrough, hasn't yet shown itself. The work you're doing is stored, not wasted, and the breakthrough happens when your accumulated efforts finally exceed a certain threshold.

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Compounding Effects

The "compounding effects of good ones" refers to how small, positive habits build on each other over time, leading to exponential growth. It's a concept borrowed from finance, where compound interest means you earn interest on both your initial investment and the accumulated interest. In the context of habits, a small daily improvement, like reading a few pages of a book, doesn't seem like much, but over a year, those small actions compound to a significant amount of knowledge. Each tiny habit adds to the benefits of the previous one.

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Prevailing Wisdom

"Prevailing wisdom" means the widely accepted or common belief about a topic. It's the conventional way of thinking that most people follow. The text uses this phrase to introduce the idea that while many people believe in setting specific goals as the best path to success, the author proposes a different, more effective approach.

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Goals vs. Systems

This is a core concept of the text. "Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results."

• A goal is a specific end result, like losing 10 pounds or running a marathon. It's the destination.

• A system is the series of actions and processes you follow to get there, like a daily workout routine or a healthy meal plan. It's the journey.

The author argues that focusing on the system (the daily actions) is more important for long-term success than just focusing on the goal (the outcome). For example, if your goal is to write a book, your system would be the process of writing two pages every day. By focusing on the system, the goal takes care of itself.