Big Goal, Small Targets

To achieve success you have to set large goals but to reach them you need smaller targets.

“Notebooks with a “don't just stand there” cover on a table next to various trinkets” by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash

To reach any level of substantial success you must set unreasonable goals. But to actually achieve them you have to chase minuscule targets.

If you are a blogger, your goal should be to write a book.

If you are a photographer, your goal should be to be published in big magazines.

If you are a videographer, your goal should be to make a feature film.

If you are a mountaineer, your goal should be to climb the Everest.

The goal should always be big enough that it scares you. Because to achieve those large goals you will have to grow beyond your means to meet them.

If your goal is to climb to the top floor then your target should not be to climb to the top. Your target should be to climb just one step. Because to reach that goal you will have climb that one step multiple times.

To reach any goal you have to achieve a target multiple times.

If you make that target too big, it would become difficult to achieve it multiple times and you will never reach that goal.

If you start with climbing two-three stairs at a time you will never reach the top floor because you will be exhausted after just a few floors.

Your targets should always be so minuscule that it is impossible to not achieve them repeatedly.

If you are a blogger, your target should be to write 100 words every day.

If you are a photographer, your target should be to take a photo every day.

If you are a videographer, your target should be to produce a video every week.

If you are a mountaineer, your target should be to climb the smallest mountain.

But all of this goal setting and targets are useless if you never start. And most of you never do.

To climb those stairs you have to take that first step. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, reaching the top looks impossible.

But, if only you took that one step you will realize that you will reach the top eventually.

All you need to do is take that first step.

Now, don’t just stand there!

This post was inspired by the amazing post Measure Your Progress, Not Your Results by Reece Robertson in The Post-Grad Survival Guide.

I recommend you read that article as well.

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