Too small to fail

Think about your last big goal

Was it to lose weight? Eat better? Pay off debt? Spend more time with your family? Promote to SuperStar Director? Whatever it was, you probably started out with lots of energy and enthusiasm.

But then life happens. You’re stuck in a late meeting and scarf a donut or hit the vending machine. The kids want to take up  taekwondo, so you have less time for Scentsy parties — and yourself. You get an unexpected bill. Shortly after you’ve started, you lose momentum, abandon your goals, and return to life as usual.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! Rather than setting the bar really high and falling short, why not start by making such small changes that you can’t help but achieve? As a Chinese proverb says, “It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” You may just find that making small, consistent changes makes it easy to accomplish whatever you set your mind to!

No matter what your goals are, here are some ideas to start thinking small:

1. Start with an embarrassingly small goal. Choose something so simple, you’d have to try hard not to succeed. If you’ve always wanted to have more time in the morning but just aren’t a morning person, start by setting your alarm just one minute earlier. If you want to exercise more, start by working out just five minutes a day. If you want to cut back on sugar, substitute just one soda for a glass of water. If you want to eat better, eat just one piece of fruit or vegetable. If you want to grow your Scentsy team, tell just one person about Scentsy every day.
2. Be consistent. For small goals to be effective, you HAVE to be consistent. Make it a priority to work toward your goal just a little bit every day. If you chose a really, REALLY simple goal, it should be easy to do it consistently.
3. Build on your success. Once your embarrassingly small goal becomes easy, find ways to make it slightly more challenging. Get up two minutes earlier. Work out for 10 minutes per day. Ask two people to host a Scentsy party. Cook one healthy meal at home from scratch each week. You’ve already proven that you can do it, so keep going!
4. Remember your why. One downside of small goals is it may be hard to notice the little changes and improvements that occur every day. If you want to stay motivated in the long run, focus on why you wanted to accomplish your goal in the first place. Was it to live a longer, more vibrant life? Achieve financial freedom? Become your own boss? Have more spare time to spend with friends and family? Whenever you find yourself discouraged, take a minute to remind yourself why you wanted to accomplish your goal.

Starting small can definitively take the pressure — and disappointment — out of accomplishing your goals. In the comments section, tell us what your big goal is and what small goal you can accomplish TODAY to get moving in the right direction.