How to Kickstart a Goal

Sometimes motivation is difficult to come by. Resistance seems like a ball and chain that keeps us from reaching our goals and dreams. How can we get past it? The answer might surprise you.

Often when we set a goal or write down our lifetime aspirations, we look at the big picture. We see our goal as one HUGE project that will take a lot of time and effort. Our subconscious takes it all in at once and says to us “Are you nuts?!?!” There is nothing wrong with big picture thinking, but in order to get started on that big dream, you have to start where you are in this very moment.

The secret to kickstarting a goal is to start with the easiest thing possible. It has to be so easy that you KNOW you can do it so you won’t resist it. We often aren’t motivated to do things because we are afraid of failure.  Setting smaller goals that are easy to accomplish trains our minds to accept that we can do the task AND we can complete it. That builds motivation and momentum. There is no resistance to the goal.

Here is an example. Let’s say you have a goal to run a marathon. Set your first task to be run down the driveway to the mailbox. Too easy? Of course, but that’s the point! It’s so easy you won’t resist doing it because you KNOW you can do it. Now make your next goal to run around the block. Just once. If that seems too much to handle, pick a house on your street and write down that you will run to that house.  Keep stretching yourself a little at a time.  You begin to build up a healthy motivation to go farther and move ahead with your dream – without resistance!

I dare you to try this.  It really works.  Test it out on any goal and let me know your results.