Goals…they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. What’s the best way to achieve your goals? Some people advocate that you dream big and take massive action. Others say that it’s better to take small bites that you can chew and move forward one baby step at a time.
Which success principle do you believe in? Which one actually works?
Well, as with most things in this world, the answer is “it depends”.
• At different points in our lives, we have different types of dream/goals and different levels of drive—the right strategy to achieving your goals really depends on where you are in life and how quickly you wish to move.
• In an ideal world, you’d have a crystal-clear vision for your life, know your personal purpose and values, have specific goals and are ready to move forward courageously. But in reality, many of us aren’t 100% sure what we want, we’re held back by fears and doubts, and we don’t know which way to go. If you’re still searching and seeking, do check out our article on how to set meaningful life goals].
Setting Goals: Go BIG
In The 10X Rule, Grant Cardone advocates that you go big or go home. His advice is strictly for people who want to achieve MASSIVE results. If you’re a big thinker who’s motivated by big visions and achieving the seemingly-impossible, then remember the 10X Rule: to achieve massive success, you need to set massive goals and take massive action.
The 10X Rule = Set 10X Bigger Goals + Take 10X Action
That’s it. There’s no short-cut or bargaining to be had when it comes to achieving massive breakthroughs. You simply have to think big and take bigger actions to get proportionate results. Average is a recipe for failure, Cardone says, because you simply can’t get enough motivation, inspiration nor momentum to achieve phenomenal results.
He breaks this down further into sub-strategies and principles you should observe. Basically, this approach involves going all out to dominate your niche, being seen/heard/known everywhere, and generating so much momentum that you become a force to be reckoned with. Feel free to get more details from our summary of The 10X Rule here.
Setting Goals: go small
What if you don’t have a grand vision and find massive actions to be scary rather than motivating? Or, what if you just want to do something to break the inertia and start moving forward? Well, then consider the other extreme: go small. In fact, go so small it becomes minuscule.In “Mini Habits“, Stephen Guise shares how to use the tiniest possible actions to overcome your brain’s natural resistance so you can cultivate new healthy habits easily. A mini habit is a super-small version of a positive new habit you want to form. It should be such a tiny step that you’d feel almost stupid doing it. For example, a goal of 50 push-ups a day can be minified to 1 push-up a day; a goal of reading 1 book a week can be minified into reading 1 page (or even 1 paragraph) a day. You can learn more on the whys and hows of mini habits in our Mini Habits book summary. In a nutshell, our brain resists change and effort; to bypass this natural barrier, you sneak past with something so small the brain doesn’t even register. As you repeat the mini actions over time, you start to build confidence, willpower and form habits that set the foundation for bigger actions.
So, the key here is to think of your goal and work backwards to find the smallest possible habit you can start building now. With these tiny habits, there are really no excuses not to start immediately. But, if you find yourself still dragging your feet, then check out “Eat that Frog!” for 21 ways to stop procrastinating, or “Awaken the Giant Within” to rouse that inner giant from its slumber and get rockin’!
Setting Goals: Be Consistent
Regardless of whether you choose to go big or small, the key to successfully achieving your goals is this: be consistent. If you have big dreams that can sustain massive actions over a period of time, go right ahead. If you’re not quite sure of that big goal but want to start moving toward it, then pick the smallest possible habit that can lay the foundation while you give yourself the time and space to gain clarity. The key is to keep going till you can build real momentum for success and evoke the power of The Compound Effect.
Do check out our free online summaries (links above) for each of these powerful books. You can also buy the full summaries and infographics from our store, or subscribe to get instant access to all these titles. Time to take some concrete action and move closer to your goals!
