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10-Minute Goals: A Simple Strategy for Parents and Children to Thrive
Achieving More with Tiny Steps
Creating Goals for a Brighter Year
Every year, a group of my writing friends and I gather to set goals for the new year. It’s one of my favorite traditions. We share planners, show off our new gel pens, choose our “word of the year,” recommend favorite books, and brainstorm exciting ideas for the months ahead.
This year, however, my outlook seemed cloudy. A recent breast cancer diagnosis left me uncertain about what lay ahead. How could I set meaningful goals when my surgery and subsequent chemotherapy loomed on the horizon? Would I even have the energy to write?
Thankfully, my mentor, Shaunta Grimes, shared her belief in incrementation: the idea that writing for just 10 minutes a day can result in completing a book within a year. Her wisdom brought a ray of sunshine into my otherwise gloomy forecast.
Inspired by this approach, I decided to break my goals into bite-sized tasks. Writing, doing one household chore, and reading for 10 minutes each day seemed manageable. Even on my worst days, these small efforts felt achievable. Suddenly, my enthusiasm bloomed. Small, realistic goals brought promise and possibility back into my life.
