The majority of people who set goals or make New Year’s resolutions, never actually follow through. So how are you going to be any different?

By setting tiny, micro-goals, that’s how!

Setting micro goals will get the ball rolling to inch you closer and closer to what you want in life. When you meet these small goals that you’ve created, your confidence will grow and you’ll establish a foundation of trusting yourself to get things done.

Even small achievements can provide a tiny hit of dopamine to keep you moving forward to seek out that next hit of dopamine. These tiny steps are much easier to make than big, giant goals that seem too far out of reach.

When I say micro, I mean tiny! What’s smaller than micro….nano? Whatever it is, that is what I mean.

Tell me more about creating micro-goals!

An excited looking woman with a speech bubble that says "tell me more" about micro-goals

Think about your end goal. What do you want….really, really want?

Now, create three teeny, tiny micro steps to get the process started.

Each step should only take 10 minutes max.

For example, when I wanted to create this website, it all felt so completely overwhelming. Generally, when I feel overwhelmed, I stop. I simply quit. And never take any steps to move forward. (I had to overcome A LOT of limiting beliefs to start this website! Check out this post to learn about overcoming limiting beliefs.)

I decided to find a way to stick with my end goal, to actually follow through this time. The answer was micro goals.

Instead of quitting due to being overwhelmed, I listed three micro goals. They were quick, easy, and things that I knew I would mostly enjoy doing.

Here’s what I started with:

Research website hosting (I went with Bluehost {affiliate link and I may make a commission if you purchase from that website}….highly recommend!)
Make a list of possible website names. I didn’t have to decide on a name at that time. I just had to make a list.
Watch a YouTube video on how to start a blog. I love Perfecting Blogging | BySophiaLee’s series on YouTube!

That’s it!

Each one of these took no longer than 10 minutes. After I completed those three, I made a list of three more, again, none of them taking longer than 10 minutes each.

The result…I now have a website! 😁

I started to trust myself that I could actually do this, even though I knew achieving the end goal was going to be hard. Completing each micro goal gave me the momentum and confidence to keep going.

Micro goals have become one of my very favorite things and can be used to reach a variety of goals.

Woman excited with arms raised sitting in front of a laptop computer

Some key tips on setting micro goals

Don’t set too many goals at once, even if they are micro. You want to avoid overwhelm! I recommend starting with no more than three. If you find that’s too many, you can reduce it to one or two.

Keep the goals positive and fun! Well, they probably can’t all be fun, but keep them as enjoyable as possible. You don’t want to dread each step. If you aren’t enjoying the micro goals, maybe it’s time to rethink your main goal. Is this really something you want?

Some people say to set a deadline for goals, but I disagree. Setting deadlines has never worked for me. It felt like too much pressure and if I missed it, I would get discouraged and give up. If deadlines work for you, go ahead and set them! But, don’t feel that you must have a set date to complete the micro goals.

Make your micro goals specific and very detailed. The more detailed and small you get, the more likely you are to complete it.

Be flexible and willing to change if the micro goals don’t feel good.

Here’s an example:

Main goal (Remember, you can change this if needed. Don’t get stuck deciding on your main goal!):

Maybe you want to change your career from retail to graphic design. Let’s work on creating your micro goals. You can space out as much time as you want between each goal and/or each set of goals.

First set of micro goals:

Look up 10 job ads for graphic design positions. Make a list of the required skills listed in the ad.
Circle the requirements that you DON’T currently have.
Choose one requirement that you saw repeatedly in the ads and write down what you need to obtain that requirement. For example: Intermediate level knowledge of Adobe Illustrator – need to take a class to improve my knowledge and skills.

Second set of micro goals (only after completing the first set!):

Research classes on Adobe Illustrator, either paid or free. Make a list of options.
Decide the best path for improving Illustrator skills (taking a class at your local community college, taking a class online, teaching yourself, etc.).
If taking a class, research the website and learn how to register.

Third set of micro goals (only after completing the second set!):

Register for the Illustrator class that you decided on in the last set.
Take a look back at your circled requirements from your first set of micro goals. Choose another circled requirement to focus on next.
Decide how to obtain that requirement.

And so on…..

As you can see, you may have A LOT of micro goals…….BUT, because they are so tiny and easy, you can sail through them and they don’t feel like such a hurdle. You might even find yourself looking forward to finishing each set just so you can make the next set.

Completing each small task will build your confidence and you will learn to trust yourself more and more.

You will start to truly believe you can do it…and YOU CAN!