Goals. We all have them.
Our goals can be small, like saving $100 or reading a book. Or they can be big, such as buying our first home or mastering a difficult skill.
It’s in our nature to approach a goal according to its perceived size and difficulty. We believe that if we want to make large accomplishments happen, we must also make big changes. Similarly, if we want to achieve something on a small scale, we believe that little change will do the trick.
James Clear, the author of the New York Times bestselling book, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, would disagree with that approach. He believes that small changes lead to big results, no matter the size of the goal.
In this blog post, I will explain how you can follow Clear’s philosophy to achieve greatness in your own life.
Small Changes Lead to Big Results Only if You Are Being Consistent
For me, the most memorable quote in Atomic Habits reads, “We often dismiss small changes because they don’t seem to matter very much in the moment.”
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
When I first read those words, they resonated with me on a deep level because I’ve struggled with this very idea in my entrepreneurial journey.
The reason I got to where I am today—sharing weekly articles with a large readership on MikevanderPoel.com—is because two of my previous businesses failed. Though I’ve recovered from them now, I must admit that both failures were quite embarrassing at the time.
My Failures Propelled Me Forward
In my first business, I drop shipped kitchen gadgets and lost over $4,000 in just a year (a large amount of money for a broke college student).
My second business was profitable, but I succumbed to a completely different challenge: I faced judgement and criticism from my peers. I created a number of products on the health benefits of avocados and explained how healthy fats can lead to better overall health, but threw in the towel because I was tired of being labelled “the avocado guy”.
What I didn’t realize throughout this journey was that my efforts were accumulating in the background. Even though I felt like I got nowhere with both of my businesses, I now understand that those small steps had a big impact on my success in the long term.
The skills alone were worth it. I learned a lot and now know how to write keyword-optimized blog posts, run an advertising campaign, and engage an audience on social media. Oh, and I also know when an avocado is perfectly ripe, in case you’re wondering …
Working toward a goal will lead to positive changes if you stick with it long enough. You may not see the fruits of your labor just yet, but you will if you stay consistent.
Before you get to work, though, there’s something I’d like you to be aware of …
Small Changes Don’t Lead to Big Results for a Long Time
The Plateau of Latent Potential is a concept that explains why many of us quit on our goals prematurely.
The truth about major change is that it takes a lot of time to show. The Plateau of Latent Potential states that there is a lag time between what you think should happen and what actually happens.
Those who have tried to achieve better health have likely experienced this phenomenon:
- You consume fewer calories than usual but haven’t had any weight loss.
- You partake in healthy eating but haven’t experienced a huge difference in your well-being.
- You tweak your exercise regimen but still look and feel the same.
It’s easy to feel discouraged when you don’t see results after putting in a lot of work. At that point, you might be wondering what you’re doing wrong, “Was all of my effort a waste of time?”
You expect results to arrive in a linear fashion, when in reality, it looks more like an exponential function. Progress remains invisible for many months or years before it suddenly all comes at once.
Read every day for a month and you’re still not a genius. Go to the gym for a few weeks and you are still not in good shape. The results of small changes often don’t show a long time, but if we stick with those habits for long enough, we can achieve the impossible.
On that note, if your goals seem impossible right now, you might benefit from doing this …
If You Want to Achieve Big Results, Break It Into Smaller Actions
Many people don’t follow through on their New Year’s Resolutions. Perhaps it because their old habits get in the way. Maybe its because they’re not willing to leave their comfort zone.
I believe it’s for different reason altogether: People who set resolutions often don’t know how to tackle large goals, and get overwhelmed when they realize how much distance they have to cover.
A key ingredient to achieving big goals is to break a seemingly insurmountable tasks into smaller, manageable chunks of work.
This might looks something like this:
- If you want to write a book, focus on writing just 200 words per day.
- If you want to go to sleep earlier, bring it down by 10 minutes every day.
- If you want to read more books, read just 20 pages daily.
- If you want to lose weight, exercise for 20 minutes on a daily basis.
- If you want to a better relationship, spend 30 minutes of quality time with your partner every day.
You have to stick to your daily routine for a long time if you want to reap the benefits.
It may not be possible to make significant changes today, but you will definitely see them in the future. That is, if you’re consistent.
Previous: Focus on Your Vision and Results Will Come (5 min. read)
You become what you focus on. Having a vivid mental image of something that you’d like to have or do will move you toward the very thing you’re trying to accomplish. In this blog, you’ll learn how to have a strong vision for your goals and future.