Many people who set goals for a new year, choose something big and exciting, such as running a marathon or starting a six-figure side-hustle. Those are admirable objectives, and there's a unique thrill in achieving them.
However, such awe-inspiring feats can overshadow the impact of setting and achieving a modest goal. That's unfortunate because a small step in the right direction can often lead to significant, even life-changing, results.
For example, if you want to lose weight in the new year, you could go big by committing to a strict (but healthy) diet and sweating it out at the gym five days a week.
There's nothing wrong with that!
But what if, instead, you decided to simply take a walk after dinner each day? According to the online health site, WebMD, a brisk 30-minute walk will burn approximately 140 calories. Assuming your diet remains the same, that will result in a predicted weight loss of 15 pounds over the year.
The best part of a goal like walking a half-hour each day is knowing it is eminently achievable. You're less likely to give up on that commitment than on a huge deal.
When you focus on a "small step" goal, you're leveraging the snowball effect. Like a clump of snow rolling down a hill and getting bigger and bigger, the results you get from a modest goal are minor at first but gradually grow.
So, when you're thinking about what you want to accomplish in the new year, consider setting a few "small step" goals. They might help you get the big results you want.
