Inside: Use the power of small steps to break down big goals and make them more manageable so you can start today!
Have you ever set out on a mission to achieve a big goal, build a new habit, or embrace a lifestyle change – only to find yourself totally stuck and overwhelmed?
Believe me, you aren’t alone.
So many of us have goals and dreams we’ve been putting off for years.
And while the idea of making that change, achieving that dream, or reaching that goal might be incredibly overwhelming, in almost every situation, the goal you’re chasing or the change you’re trying to make is worthwhile. It’s important. And it’s achievable – as long as you’re willing to make the commitment and put in the work.
Stop saying you’ll do it one day – and make today the day you take that first step toward your dreams.
By focusing less on the big picture and more on the process of breaking your goal down into small, actionable steps, you’ll be amazed to see just how much more reachable whatever you’re aiming for seems to be.
And by taking small steps toward a big goal, you’ll build the momentum you need to carry you through to completion.
Why is it so easy to get stuck when pursuing a big goal?
We’ve all been there.
We’ve all started something with big hopes and ambitions, only to give up sooner than we thought.
Maybe you were trying to save up for a dream vacation, or write a book, or climb a mountain. Maybe you wanted to run a marathon, or earn a promotion at work, or eat a vegetarian diet, or master the guitar.
You took a couple of steps – and then you stumbled, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the task in front of you.
Don’t feel bad. Despite what you see on social media, far more people fail to reach their goals than actually accomplish them.
It’s incredibly easy to get stuck when pursuing a big goal.
But why?
Well, making a big change can be slightly terrifying. How do you know where to start? What’s the first step you need to take? How do you know you aren’t doing the wrong thing? What happens if you mess up?
And it can be hard. The thought of tackling a big goal like getting healthier, paying off your debt, or completely decluttering your home can be so intimidating that it scares us into complacency.
Despite our best efforts, it’s easy to give up and stay in your comfort zone when you’re trying to accomplish something that seems scary or difficult.
That’s where the power of small steps comes into play.
What is the power of small steps? How will it help me reach my goal?
By taking small steps toward your big goals, you’ll be amazed to see just how much more achievable they feel.
But why?
Taking small steps toward a big goal will keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on the end result and feeling like you’re making no progress, tackling smaller goals that feel within your reach will give you the encouragement you need to continue when things get hard.
The power of small steps is that they feel manageable which helps reduce the likelihood that you’ll get overwhelmed. By staying laser-focused on the specific task at hand – not the dozens of tasks that stand between you and your end goal – things will feel much more manageable.
How to embrace the power of small steps and achieve your goal:
Ready to see how you can benefit from breaking your big goal down into small steps? Here’s a quick and easy process you can follow to make it happen.
1 – Pick a single goal to focus your energy on.
One of the biggest mistakes we make when trying to make a big change is attempting to do way too much at once.
You don’t want to embrace a single new habit – you want to eat healthier and sleep more and start an exercise routine and read more books, all at the same time.
While it might be tempting to try to make a big change, realize that most goals you’re aiming for are bigger than they seem. They all require time, effort, and energy to achieve – and we all have a limited amount of those resources to give to ourselves.
To take the first small step toward achieving your goal, pick a single realistic goal to focus on.
2 – Do some research.
Now that you’ve identified a single goal to focus on, do a little bit of research. You know what you want to do – now you need to figure out how to actually do it.
Regardless of what you’re trying to achieve, chances are good that someone else has done it before – or something very similar.
Look up their experiences online via some Google or Pinterest research. See how others succeeded – and what wasn’t helpful at all.
In some cases, your path forward might be very clear with only one real direction to move toward.
In others, that path may be a bit more ambiguous, and you may even have a few different paths to pursue to reach the same goal.
Either way, you’ll want to know your options and keep them in mind as you make your plans.
3 – Make a list of everything you need to do in order to reach your goal.
Grab a pencil and paper – or open a word processor – and capture every step you can think of that you can take to work toward your goal. No detail is too small.
The goal here is to break it down into tiny, actionable, bite-sized pieces.
It can be helpful to ask yourself, “What do I need to do first?”
Followed by, “OK, what next?”
“…what next?”
“…what next?”
Don’t be too critical of yourself here. Get as granular as you can possibly get.
And when you’re done, take a step back and evaluate your plan. See if there are opportunities to condense or combine certain steps or specific actions.
But don’t go too crazy here. After all, the goal is to give yourself lots of little steps to take toward your goal – not a handful of big ones.
4 – Start working through your list – and check in on your progress often!
Your next step is to take action. Starting from the top, tackle each item on your list in order.
You might be able to accomplish some items on your list in a few minutes, or in a single afternoon. Others might take weeks, even months, to accomplish, depending on the magnitude of your goal.
By keeping your focus narrow and not letting yourself get intimidated by all of the steps that lie ahead of you, you’ll be able to make surprising progress toward your goal without feeling totally overwhelmed by it.
Be consistent in putting in the effort to reach your goal. The power of small steps is that they can help you accomplish big things as long as you stay committed.
By reviewing your goals and checking in on your progress often, you’ll continue to stay motivated and know you’re taking steps to make that change, achieve a goal, or realize your dreams.
Whether you choose to use a planner, a journal, a calendar, or a conversation with an accountability partner, reflecting on how far you’ve come, acknowledging your achievements, and celebrating your success can keep you motivated and focused.
Have you ever achieved a big goal using the power of small steps? Leave a comment and share your experience!
I hope that reading about the power of small steps has encouraged you to know that any big goal can be broken down into smaller steps making it more manageable. The rest is up to you. You can either focus on one day or make today your day one!
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