The idea of a goal is to have something to aim at. A goal is a landing place. A place you arrive at. Goals are a measure of success or if one is successful. At times your goals are influenced by people and events around you. And at other times it becomes about bettering yourself, your life and the lives of those around you. You not only become more attractive to be around, but you also influence others to strive for more.
What if you have a big goal?
Then you should have a bite sized goal, which is a smaller goal that gets you closer to the big one. For example, if you have a goal of working out 5 days per week then you start with just one day. If you want to walk for an hour, start with 15 minutes. Sound too simple?
If you ask an author how a book is written they’ll tell you that a book is made up of pages. Those pages have words on them. The combination of that makes a book. There’s this unwritten rule in writing that all you have to do is two crappy pages per day. Author, Anne Lamott has been given credit for this rule. What this means is, if Anne or any other author can simply do two crappy pages per day, at the end of a certain amount of time you’ll have enough pages to make a book. On the contrary, if you don’t write any pages, than there would be no book.
Sub goals provide motivation towards the bigger goal. Often, these big goals are arduous and many give up. Sub goals provide an added benefit of momentum. For example, when it comes to paying down debt, the debt snowball method is extremely effective. The idea is taking all your debt, making a list from smallest debt to largest debt. Then you pay them in order from smallest to largest. Getting the easy win first to gain momentum for the harder win later.
Regardless of the goal there are several sub goals along the way, allowing you to break it down to more manageable parts. This can be a work project or a home renovation. There is a process that is followed in a variety of stages to get to completion. Small steps, small actions, but it’s no small thing.
Take out a piece of paper and a pen. Write down your goal(s) and break it down into more manageable parts. The realization of the goal you’ll find is what motivates you. As you’re making progress that is the fuel that keeps you determined and focused on the goal. The completion of the goal pails in comparison to who you become on the track of sub goals.
A dream vacation becomes real when you start saving $50 per week towards it. Losing 70 pounds becomes real when you start walking everyday. Saving up for a down payment on a house becomes real when you save $300 per month. If you want to meditate for 30 minutes per day, then that becomes real by starting with 3 minutes. Spending less on lunch at work or the morning coffee becomes real when you meal prep and make your coffee at home.
Sub goals give you momentum. Sub goals give you something that keeps you on pace. Sub goals are what leads to successful big goals. So, take the big goal and break it down. You’ll be more likely to get where you want to go.
For more on goals and success, read these other blogs I’ve written:
Thought Provoking Questions : What is your main goal? Now, what are the sub goals to get you from today to the main goal?
Dan Roman is a Husband, Father, and writer that releases a daily blog. A quick read. Sharing wisdom and asking thought-provoking questions.
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