Stop setting New Year’s resolutions. They’re too vague, too lofty, too idealistic, and nearly impossible to accomplish.
In fact, studies have shown that after 30 days, less than 25% of people stay committed to them, while only 8% will actually accomplish them.
So what’s the better way? What do you need to do to make this next year a year of progress, development, growth, and impact? The answer is to abandon your resolutions and adopt micro goals instead.
I’m not talking about S.M.A.R.T. goals, which if you’re not aware of the topic, I’d highly recommend you listen to this episode to learn more and download the template.
I’m talking about micro goals, where you break your S.M.A.R.T. goals down into small and immediately actionable tasks. This is the only sure-fire way to accomplish your greatest dreams.
Let me give you two examples: working out and writing a book.
1. Working Out
After moving back to Canada last year, the one thing that I knew I had to change was my exercise routine. For my entire adult life, I’ve never been able to figure out how to work out more than twice a week—if I even went at all. And with my metabolism slowing down (and love for food increasing), I had to crack this code.
Enter: Micro Goals.
I joined a gym on the way to work. I then made the personal resolve that I wasn’t allowed to go into work until I first worked out. To make this realistic and achievable because of my workload, the goal was a 30 minute workout every workday. I also had to make sure not to schedule any early morning breakfast meetings. And since I’m a night owl, I had to make sure that my gym bag was always packed the night before, so that I couldn’t make any excuses in the morning.
That’s it. It’s that simple. The genius of the micro goal is its simplicity and size.
And several months into this new rhythm, I can confidently say that I’ve cracked the code. Obviously I’ve missed days, but overall, I’ve never felt stronger, fitter, healthier, or sharper than today—and it’s all because of these micro goals.
2. Writing a Book
In less than one month, my third book will hit the stores. It’s called You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love. It’s simultaneously frightening and exciting to await the release of this concept that’s taken two years to ideate, develop, write, edit, produce, print, and release.
Two whole years.
I’ve discovered writing books is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it for someone who gets bored easily. And since most of us are procrastinators by nature—including yours truly—micro goals were the only way that I was able to get this project complete.
Once I set a deadline to write the book proposal, I created a series of micro goals to make sure that each section in the book proposal had a due date. Once I signed the contract with my publisher and agreed on a delivery date, I created a system whereby each chapter got written through a series of micro goals that I had to accomplish.
Opening up a fresh word document with a blinking cursor is daunting. However, checking off a series of micro goals isn’t. So instead of focusing on the end goal of a finished chapter (which takes weeks) or a finished book (which takes years), I focused on the task immediately in front of me (which takes hours)—the micro goal.
What can you do to break down your greatest dreams into easily accomplishable micro goals? Micro goals and micro tasks that will take minutes and hours, rather than weeks and years?