You set your goals for well intentional change, but you find yourself lacking the motivation to action them. Or you may simply not know where to begin. Deciding to make big changes in your life or creating a new habit is not as easy as it seems.
Transformation can be well intentioned, but you don’t want to set yourself up to fail. Implementing small steps, or mini actions, can have a greater chance of you achieving those goals instead of trying to tackle a mountain.
Here are six steps to creating a mini action plan:
Start small
Break down your big goals into smaller manageable tasks. One’s that can be achieved in a day so that you can see progress and feel you have made a change.
Be specific
Get clear on what you want to achieve and set yourself up for success from the start. You can use a simple statement such as “I will (behaviour) at (time) in (location)”. For example, if you want to write a book your statement might look like “I will write 500 words at 10am each day at my desk in my study”.
Create a visual
To make it obvious and memorable, leave visual clues in plain sight to prompt you to achieve your mini action item. For writing your book you could leave a post it note on the fridge with your statement as a reminder.
Make it fun
Tasks don’t get done as quickly if you do not enjoy them. You are more likely to succeed in completing your daily actions if there is an element of fun included in them. So to complete your mini action of 500 words a day, you could add a caveat that once you complete those words you can enjoy a cup of tea in the garden.
Keep track of your progress.
Being consistent is important to keep you motivated and being able to track how you are going will keep you on track and focused to attaining your mini goals.
Celebrate your success
Take the time to celebrate each small step you take towards your bigger goal. But choose rewards that align with the change you are trying to make in your life. For example, if you are trying to be healthier, then you may choose to celebrate your success with an afternoon out with friends at a café instead of a wine bar.
Creating mini actions will help you on the way to achieving your goals as you will be able to celebrate your small successes along the way. You will also stay motivated knowing that once one step has been completed, you will feel a sense of achievement. Your motivation increases. You start to feel that yes you can actually do this. And you can. A mini action sets you up for success.