Most people I talk to about achieving things, whether mentees or friends, all find the exact same problems when figuring out goals and next steps.
You see, when we talk about those, they commonly say that x is too hard, or y is too complicated, that it will take a long time, etc.
And they're all committing the same basic mistake:
Planning big leaps instead of small steps.
This isn't new, and I'm sure you've read it before. And still, it's a common mistake people make while setting up goals for themselves: they get too focused on the final picture and then too overwhelmed by everything that has to happen before.
So here's a quick hack to ease out the overwhelming feeling that you'll never get there:
Write down the final "big picture" at the bottom of a page;
Above it, note down everything that needs to happen before;
End the list, at the top of the page, with the very first small step you can take to get that plan going;
(optional) Review all steps and divide them into smaller ones, if needed;
Set feasible deadlines for the first steps and get going.
Seems too simple? That's because it is.
The problem with goal setting is that we focus too much on the result we want and not the process, while it's the process that will get us there.
What hacks do you use for goal setting?