Self Improvement | Goal Setting
The Key to Advancing Small Goals
Achieving Big Dreams Through Pursuing Small Steps
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent Van Gogh
I have always struggled to keep at my goals and stick to the habits I’m trying to build. The reality is that every goal or dream I set for myself was so broad that it never seemed feasible or approachable.
Achieving goals does not happen overnight. Small goals are critical for developing towards larger ones, however, what are the next steps following completing small goals?
In a previous article, I discussed the importance of scaling back New Year’s resolutions to make them obtainable and successful.
If you’d like to see the article you can check it out here: Most New Years Resolutions Suck: Here’s Why Yours May Be Setting You Up for Failure.
However, one crucial idea not discussed in the article is the importance of understanding how to advance smaller goals over time and productively move toward larger aspirations.
Recap: Why are Small Goals Important?
As referenced in the previous article, small goals greatly influence larger aspirations. Small goals are the building blocks to larger long-term goals. Without the structure that small goals provide it is unlikely to achieve success in larger ones. But how do we develop our original small goals into a string of goals with lasting impact?
Steps Towards Developing Goals
Step 1: Laying a Timeline
To build out routines that help progress your goals it is essential to understand the big picture goal and plan out time stamps accordingly. If you have any kind of calendar or planner find dates that feel reasonable for achieving small steps of your overarching plan. This means picking out specific days when you want to have some degree of work done, whether it saving a certain amount of money by that date, or being able to run consistently over your selected time. Stereotypically goal setting is often depicted as something that people dedicate a huge portion of their time to. In reality, what gets missed a lot is how busy we are as humans and as writers. Whether you’re attending school, employed, or even unemployed, making time for new habits is difficult. Planning is key to furthering your self-improvement journey
Step 2: Being Consistent and Holding Yourself Accountable
Being consistent and holding yourself accountable is all about putting in the work. It is perhaps one of the most difficult steps, however, there's a trick to convincing your brain to keep at something even when it gets hard. Any time you doubt your consistency or the amount of benefit this habit or a small step is doing remember why you set out on this journey to begin with.
At a certain point, I began setting goals without any way of holding myself accountable. This resulted in forgetting my overall goal by about two weeks. Through using things such as habit trackers I provided myself reminders to keep going. It wasn’t to torture yourself it was to better yourself. You set this set of goals to become a better person in the long term.
Step 3: Be Invested in Your Long Term Goals
If you aren’t invested in your own goals there's no way that they will be achieved. Picture all of the benefits your lifestyle would result in through your long-term goal. Getting in shape? Being more Financially Stable? Breaking a bad habit? Remember why you set out on this goal and BE INVESTED in it. Sometimes it’s hard, but there are steps you can take to make the process feel less grueling and more rewarding.
Bonus Tip: Reward Yourself at Milestones
When it comes to goals that will span a long period, sometimes rewarding yourself is a no-brainer. At any milestone that you feel is worth celebrating, treat yourself. It’s up to you what that means, but find something that you feel you deserve. After all this, if you put in the effort to improve your lifestyle, you deserve rewards. As best explained in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, rewards are extremely beneficial to building strong habits.
Every step you take towards bettering yourself is a step in the right direction. Building habits and working towards big goals is challenging but you are well equipped with the resources to tackle them. Remember evolving small goals is essential for pursuing your overarching larger goals.
Opportunities to connect with an inspirational community —
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Kitchen Table Talk — an opportunity to be in deep conversation with a global audience. January 21st’s topic is “Who Wins in an Election Year.”
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