“Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps.” – Saul Bellow
Hi y’all,
As we get closer and closer to our product launch, I’m consistently reminding myself that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I get caught up in those BHAG (big hairy audacious goals) that I have set for Rightside and how far we have to go. While I would be the last person in the world to discourage a “dream big” attitude, I think it’s important to acknowledge the small, micro goals that help propel us further.
According to a Harvard Business Review article, the way to achieve big is to identify goals so ridiculously small that it’s seemingly not worth doing. I’ve found this to be so true! I had a goal (especially when our son was first born and I was getting NO sleep) to prioritize sleep hygiene. I started taking a shower before bed, and that one change led me to stop other habits that detracted from my sleep. I needed to get better sleep but the reality was I wasn’t going to overhaul my nighttime routine immediately.
By “right-sizing” your goals, you’ll avoid a negative spiral of discouragement and gain momentum to keep going. Some easy ways to get started:
- Identify small micro habits – what small micro habits would be so easy to implement that would lead you to that bigger goal? Instead of running a half marathon (which is an awesome goal), could you tack on 5 minutes or a mile to what you’re currently doing?
- Piggyback on a daily task – what’s something that would take minimal effort that’s related to a bigger goal that you could do in tandem with something else? Is your goal to read more or meditate? Could you carve this out while you are brushing your teeth and reading for 30 seconds? I’ve mentioned Blinkist before but that’s something I’ve incorporated into my workouts now, and while I am still not sitting down to read novels, I’m still getting that information in a different way!
- Track Progress – the same HBR article references a “yes list.” Write down your small micro habit and just a yes/no for each day. Did you floss, did you get that 10 minute walk in, you get the idea!
I love the idea of zoning in on small, digestible goals. I hope this helped y’all provide some focus for the week and gave you some relief (knowing we could all use a little grace right now!). I’d love to hear some of your micro goals as well so shoot me a note or comment on this post.
Take care and be well,
Emree