Small Wins, Big Momentum: The Power of Achievable Goals

When confidence is low, setting small, achievable goals can help build it back up. When you get those small wins, and acknowledge them, you begin to build momentum.

How Achievable Goals Build Confidence

You can start with your daily to-do list. Whittle it down to the 3-5 most important things you need to get done. I know there’s a lot on the list, but go with me here. Pick the top 3-5 and concentrate on them.

Plan out your day according to those top items. Do you need to go out and run errands? Map it out so that you find the most efficient route. Have administrative tasks? Look for how they logically flow so that one task leads right into the other. Are there any meetings that might interrupt your work flow? Look at your time and determine what tasks can fit within the spaces before and after said meetings.

The Power of Focus and Small Wins

Then get into action. Turn off the distractions (phone, internet, etc.) and dig in. Chances are, when you are fully committed to completing some item on your list, you will find that, with full concentration, it doesn’t take as long as you think it does.

For example, I was with a client on a special VIP day where I spent the time observing her within her daily routine. One of the issues was finding time to grocery shop. We went around and did her errands and the last item on her list before going to pick up the kids was Costco. We only had 25 minutes before we had to go get the kids. She spent 5 minutes in the car lamenting how she didn’t have any time when I stepped in.

I asked if she knew what she needed (yes) and laid out a plan. We would set our timers for 15 minutes, go in, get what we could, and when the time went off, we’d head to the cashier. That way at least we’d have some of the things she needed. She agreed and off we went.

With that focused attention, we didn’t wander (as folks are prone to do in Costco 😜 ). We strategically went to the things she needed and put them in the basket. There were a couple of items that caught her eye along the way and those got added with a fanfare of “EXTRA!” and laughter.

When her basket was full of all the items on her list and a few “EXTRA!” items, we went to the cashier. As we were loading her car, our alarms went off. We had completed the whole shopping trip in LESS than 15-minutes! AND she had everything on her list PLUS some fun wonderful “EXTRAs”.

This was all completed with a lot of encouragement and quite a bit of laughter. (Every “EXTRA!” was completed with over-the-top enthusiasm and drama. 🤣) And she got to see that with just the smallest amount of dedicated focus for a short period of time, amazing things can happen.

This is not to say that your day has to be fully in focus all the time. But when you set your sites on a task, commit to it, focus on it fully and you will see dramatic progress. Also, it will probably take less time than you think.

We can spend so much time lamenting the work to be done, time that if we just pulled up our bootstraps, set a timer, and dug in, we could have it done. Then we’d have the rest of the day to play and rest.

So, start setting some small, achievable goals. Start with your to-do list. When you look for the most important things you need done, that to-do list will inevitably contain the tasks needed to achieve your BIG Dream one baby-micro-step at a time.

Celebrate Your Achievements to Build Momentum

And remember, each time you successfully complete a task, no matter how big or small, give yourself a little celebration. It could be as small and silly as a 10-Second Bootie Wiggle™ or as big as a special dinner at your favorite restaurant. These small celebrations cement in the progress you’ve made, no matter how small, and give you the momentum and confidence to continue moving forward towards your BIG Dream.

Achievable goals are the foundation of long-term success. When you focus on what matters most, commit to your tasks, and celebrate each win—no matter how small—you create unstoppable momentum. Your BIG Dream isn’t built in a day, but every micro-step moves you closer. So, set your achievable goals, stay focused, and don’t forget to celebrate along the way!