“The ceaseless churn of labor can ensnare the soul, hindering the pursuit of a life truly lived.” — Thales of Sybaris
Getting in a rut of doing ‘work’ day in and day out is possibly the most dangerous trap you will encounter in life when it comes to long term goals and progress. The trap is that while you feel very busy, sometimes even overwhelmed with work to do, you aren’t actually moving the needle forward.
We get caught up in what I call ‘maintenance work’ that seems vitally important and makes us feel like we are getting things done. These are things that need to happen, like the dishes, making dentist appointments, and even just showing up for work for your daily grind. The problem is that none of those things advances your life, they are just treading metaphorical water.
Digging out of the ‘being busy’ rut
Breaking out of the routine of being busy can be difficult. Attacking big goals can feel impossible since you are already very busy with no time to breathe. How then do you make big goals happen?
The solution is three small steps a day.
That is it. Do three small things that push you towards your goal every day. It sounds too simple, but it is incredibly effective at building momentum, and getting you headed towards achieving your goals. Each of these steps is what I refer to as a micro-goal.
They don’t need to be big things, in fact some of them might feel really dumb to write down. But they matter! Some examples of micro-goals are:
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
- Spend 10 minutes tidying up a room.
- Read a few pages of a book or an article.
- Take a short walk outside or do a quick stretch.
- Write down three things you’re grateful for.
- Plan your meals for the day.
- Set a timer and focus on a task for 15 minutes.
- Reach out to a friend or family member with a quick message.
- Try a new healthy recipe or snack.
- Practice deep breathing or a short meditation session for a few minutes.
Any one of these things won’t radically change their life on their own, but over time, when done repeatedly, will change the course of your life.
Micro-goals for big wins
For example, let us pick going back to college and getting a degree as your big goal. Micro-goals for that might be:
- Making a list of colleges that offer the degree you want
- Finding out what tuition is for each of them
- Exploring financial aid options
- Contacting the admissions office for information
- Apply for financial aid or scholarships
- Scheduling time to visit the schools
- Writing out a plan for having time for school
Again, no one of these will magically make your new degree manifest, but each step, taken one after the other will build towards the bigger goal.
Choosing your three micro-goals
When selecting your daily micro-goals, focus on tasks that are quick and easy to accomplish. Aim for goals that take just 5–10 minutes each. This keeps them manageable and helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed. The idea is to choose actions that are small enough to be completed quickly but still meaningful enough to make a difference.
Start by thinking about the areas of your life where you’d like to see progress. Is it your health, work, or personal development? Once you’ve identified these areas, pick three micro-goals that actually break you out of the busy work rut, and move you towards a goal.
For example, if you’re focusing on health, you might choose to do a quick exercise or drink an extra glass of water. If personal development is your goal, you could spend a few minutes reading or learning something new. Remember, the most important thing is to get started and keep going, one small step at a time.
This is CRITICAL — write down your steps
People love their apps for planning but I’ve found that the key to success with your micro-goals is to physically write them down. There is something about having them there on a piece of paper in front of you that makes them real.
A small notebook is perfect for this. Start each day by jotting down your three tasks. Keep your notebook simple and easy to use; it doesn’t need to be fancy.
Keep your notebook in a place where you spend most of your time. It could be your desk, kitchen counter, or even on the coffee table in front of the TV. This way, it’s always within reach, reminding you of your goals throughout the day.
By having it in plain sight, with today’s tasks on it, you are more likely to think about them and make them happen.
Your notebook is your lifeline when in doubt
Inevitably there will come a time when you are feeling like you suck, life sucks, everything sucks, and you will never achieve anything. Your notebook is your lifeline in those moments.
When you are feeling like you are getting nowhere, go back and review the things that you have already done. Give yourself a reminder that the road may not be easy, but you are moving forward.
This is why I feel it is vitally important to write your micro-goals down each day, and cross them off as you complete them. Those will be the little markers that show your brain and your heart that you are capable of achieving your goals and to just keep moving forward.
What about when you fail?
There will be days when you don’t get your three things done. Those days happen. The key is to just keep working on them.
If you didn’t hit a goal on one day, put it down for the next. Don’t beat yourself up over it, just put it at the top of the list for today, and make it happen.
One caveat to this is if you find that something has not gotten done 3 days in a row, you need to reevaluate that step. There is some reason it isn’t getting done. It may be that it is too big, or it may mean that you have some emotional attachment to it that is blocking your progress. Either way, it is an item that needs looking into.
The most important step
The most important step in making your goals happen is to just start doing them. Right now, make a list of three things you can do today, that will move your life forward, even just a little bit. You can even make one of them finding a dedicated notebook to write them down in.
Starting is everything, so get to it, and start achieving your goals today!
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