January 2025 Leader Letter
Make Giant Goal Leaps With Small Steps
Discover how to use micro-actions to complete big goals this year.
Have you ever experienced that rush of setting a big goal鈥攐nly to find yourself overwhelmed and stalled soon after?
We鈥檝e all been there鈥攚e invest so much mental, emotional, and physical energy into that one thing at first that it doesn鈥檛 realistically fit into our routines and habits long term.
Well, it鈥檚 time for a goal check-up! Use these tips to create, assess, and recommit to your big goals.
Break it down鈥攅ven further. The secret to achieving big goals is to take them one ridiculously achievable step at a time. For example, 鈥渓earn to knit and make a sweater鈥� is a massive undertaking, especially for a beginner. But breaking it down into doable steps is much more manageable:
- Buy a set of needles and yarn.
- Find beginner tutorials for knitting online.
- Pick a tutorial and schedule a day to start.
- Watch the selected video and follow instructions.
You could then add more steps to work toward the much bigger (and cozier) goal of knitting a sweater.
Sustainable progress beats quick burnout. If your goal is fitness related, for example, instead of committing to an hour at the gym every day before and after work, start smaller, maybe with one hour three days per week. It鈥檚 perfectly sustainable to find three hours each week鈥攖en hours, not so much. Once you鈥檙e comfortable with that routine, experiment with committing more time or introducing a new strategy in addition to working out. You may even find that those three hours are all you needed to begin with鈥攖hree hours spent working out per week for 52 weeks is a lot better than 10 hours at the gym for only four weeks before quitting!
Harness the power of dopamine to stay motivated. This 鈥渞eward chemical鈥� is released in your brain when you achieve something, making you want to keep going. Physically writing down or using an app to check off your micro-actions and track your habits isn鈥檛 just a good idea to give you insights into your progress; the process of checking steps off your list or entering in your action for the day will drive you forward!
Big dreams may feel far away, but with small, consistent steps, you鈥檒l be amazed at how quickly you gain momentum. Start your first step today!
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