Think smaller–then act.
Imagine a goal you have: walk 30 minutes a day, or lose 25 pounds, or write and publish a book. Doesn’t matter what; for now, just imagine one.
Got it?
Now: Think of the first step you’ll take to reach that goal. If you want to lose 25 pounds, for example, you might think “start going to the gym 3 times/week”, or “eat 1,500 calories/day”. Or if you’re writing a book, you might think “write every day for half an hour”.
Got that first step? Good. Now forget it, and choose a smaller step.
No, even smaller. Smaller.
Keep going until you’ve come to what feels like the smallest, most inconsequential step you could take. That’s your first step.
Here’s an example: Say you want to walk for 30 minutes a day. You may have thought of a first step like “start walking tomorrow in the morning before work”, or “walk for 15 minutes a day”.
But those steps are too big, and while you might get out for a walk or two—maybe even for a week—you’ll almost certainly fail. I bet you’ve experienced this with New Year’s resolutions: “This year I will walk every day and lose 25 pounds and get fit and…” and a few weeks later, you’re eating chips in front of the TV, wearing your walking shoes.
Here’s the problem: stress, and how you’re built to deal with it.
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