5 Tips For Setting Smarter Goals With The Micro Perspective

5 Tips For Setting Smarter Goals With The Micro Perspective
http://goodlifezen.com/2013/01/26/5-tips-for-setting-smarter-goals-with-t...
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Do you find yourself frustrated that youre not further along than you are at the end of the day or the week or the month or even so far in your life? Have you set amazing goals for yourself that just never came to fruition? When you fall short of a goal that is important to you, it weighs heavy on you like a big, wet blanket, doesnt it? You feel like you let yourself down. Its important to realize that weve all been there at one time or another. Youre not the only one who feels this way and it certainly doesnt make you a failure. What if I told you that the problem isnt necessarily you, your ability, or your performance?
Its a Matter of Perspective

The real problem could very well be your perspective. You see, most of us set ourselves up for this feeling of failure by the way we set and pursue goals. Something about the modern psyche has us all believing that we need to conquer the world and surpass even our most ambitious goals in one fell swoop. And that, frankly, is crazy talk.
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As the achievement-driven species that we are, we are notoriously bad at goal perspective. Let me explain. Lets say my goal is to lose 70 pounds. While that is a completely attainable and admirable goal thinking that I could pull it off easily, or without sacrifice, or in a month is Anyone? Right! More crazy talk. For whatever reason, we tend to focus on our goals with long-term vision but short-term expectations. So we wind up subconsciously anticipating long-term level results right now. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesnt it? If nothing else, its a great way to set yourself up for failure and all the negative emotions that accompany it.
Make It Micro
One way of keeping yourself from falling into that trap is to begin picturing your big, ultimate goal as a backdrop while you operate from a what I call a micro perspective. It makes progress feel more achievable and the ultimate goal look less overwhelming. A micro perspective (small or close up perspective) means that while you are ultimately striving for something bigger way out there on the horizon, you keep most of your focus on the smaller details that are presently in front of you. Here are five tips that I have found useful in developing a micro perspective. 1: Banish Impatience Im not going to snow you. This is a tough one. Realize that your goals are something significant. And just like anything else in the natural world, significant doesnt move quickly even if youre standing next to it yelling, NOW, NOW, NOW! You cant make a tree or a mountain or even a person come to maturity by being impatient. Your goals are no different. Realize that they need time to become significant. 2: Chunk It One of my heroes, Zig Zigalr, lost 37 pounds in the 1970s and kept it off for the rest of his life by chunking it. (My words, not his) Zig figured out that by making very modest changes in his lifestyle he could lose all his extra weight by losing 1.5 ounces (or some such tiny number) each day over the course of two years. The point is if you pay attention to the little things, you can achieve huge feats in little tiny chunks. Look at your goals in terms of tiny little chunks and they become much easier to conquer. Zig made his weight loss goal sustainable by focusing on that one tiny detail of 1.5 ounces each day. 3: Separate Long And Short Term Goals Once you set your ambitious, lofty goal take some time to set smaller, related goals. What if your goal was to run a marathon and youve never run before? Thats going to take some time to achieve. So set various smaller goals so you can see the progress along the way. Maybe you could say, Tomorrow, Im going to run an extra half mile. Or maybe, Within two weeks I will run 2 miles without walking. Set and re-set new smaller goals as you progress and appreciate the fact that they are slowly but surely carrying you toward the attainment of your ultimate goal. 4: Celebrate Your Wins. You need to appreciate the ride between here and there. So when you achieve those smaller goals, make sure you give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate the win. Remember that small wins are still wins. Give
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yourself some credit and then keep moving forward. Feel The Momentum This one is a bonus meaning its a natural byproduct of the other tips. I list it because as it begins to happen, you should be aware of it and appreciate the process. When you take little chunks out of your goal and set smaller attainable goals along the way something really cool starts to happen. You create momentum. When you see all those little things going right, you can literally feel yourself being pulled in a positive direction. (For more on creating momentum and forming a new perspective on achievement, here is a Free Gift I would like to offer to Goodlife Zen readers with my compliments.) 5: Slow Down And Appreciate Your Progress Even when youre not as far along the path as you hoped, the important thing is that you are moving down the path. Take the time to pause and look back from your current perspective and appreciate where you started from. Its like looking back down a big hill halfway through a long, strenuous hike. While you know you arent yet finished, looking back gives you a sense of pride in how far you have come.
Enjoy The Ride

Achieving great things doesnt have to be stressful. Dont let the fact that you have big, significant goals hold you back from pursuing your ambitions. Savor the trip and remember Its not all about crossing things off a list. Its also about enjoying the ride and growing as a person. So What About You? Do you sometimes get overwhelmed by long-term goals? How do you tackle big projects or goals? Share your views in the comments! Gary Korisko (@RebootAuthentic) writes about business strategy, content marketing, and integrity selling on his blog Reboot Authentic. He is also giving away FREE Airfare within the Continental USA for one lucky reader to get something amazing done for their business. You may also like -
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{ 27 comments read them below or add one }
1 Mary Jaksch January 26, 2013 at 6:10 pm
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Im sure youll all enjoy Garys post as much as I do. Hes got a fantastic free Ebook you might want to download. Its electrifying. Click on the title to get it: How to Alienate All the Right People Reply
2 Gary Korisko January 26, 2013 at 6:22 pm Thank you, Mary. For having me here on Goodlife Zen and for the nice comment about the eBook! Very kind of you on both fronts. Reply
3 Randy Redinger January 26, 2013 at 11:02 pm GaryIm trying to figure out what youve been putting in your breakfast cereal lately. You seem to be on fire with your writing- to mix a metaphor or three, really hitting on all cylinders, pushing the right buttons. I like this post because it encourages me to work on my goals- weight loss, restarting (again!) my blog, rebooting my thinking in how I help my customers. As you said, goals can be scary- What if I set this goal and failyet again? Baby stepsI could learn a lot from my granddaughter whos learning to walk. Thanks for the post- now, wheres my goal-setting journal? -Randy Reply
4 Gary Korisko January 27, 2013 at 9:51 am Randy! Thanks very much for the compliments. I might be on kind of a roll lately here! And good luck chunking all those goals. Youll get there! Reply Good to see you
5 Kyle January 28, 2013 at 3:32 pm Hi Gary,
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Great post! I love the story about Zigs chunking strategy. Ive found breaking things down into a micro/achievable level, then monitoring things at a macro level to stay on track is an amazing combination. Have a great day! Kyle Reply
6 Gary Korisko January 29, 2013 at 2:18 am Thats a great way of putting it Kyle. Im glad you shared that. Thanks! Reply
7 Nancy Terhune January 27, 2013 at 9:13 am Gary, Truly great advice. Thank you. Its impossible to be calm, centered, and in the moment with the weight and pressure of big goals on top of us. Whenever we can, slow and steady is the best way to do our best, as well as they way to sustainability. Small successes are indeed successes. Their importance should never be discounted. Your advice is something all of us can implement today. Today! Its very motivational. Thanks again! Nancy Reply
8 Gary Korisko January 27, 2013 at 9:54 am Thank you, Nancy. Its a lesson I personally learned the hard way. Im not naturally a slow and steady person. But eventually I learned that wanting everything done right now sometimes impedes progress more than it helps. Big things take time to develop. Reply
9 Dave | Creative Chai January 27, 2013 at 1:45 pm
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Hi Gary, Some great tips here. Your suggestion to separate long and short term goals really stood out for me. As someone who gets easily overwhelmed by long term goals, finding a balance between the two is important. Your point about feeling the momentum was helpful too. Sometimes Ill get stuck focusing on what needs to be done, rather than recognising the small wins I just had. Reply
10 Gary Korisko January 27, 2013 at 3:00 pm What you described sounds a LOT like me, Dave. the reason Ive developed these better habits is because I recognized that I was horrible about wanting everything to happen right now. These really do help and make you appreciate the process more. Im glad you took something away from this post. And thanks for speaking up! Reply
11 Priska January 27, 2013 at 4:43 pm It is not only our individual modern psyche but also the psyche in the modern business world that where high expectations of outcomes are expected to conquer the competition. I have stopped setting goals altogether. Instead Im focusing on undertaking small daily actions which will lead me lead me in the right direction naturally. Reply
12 Gary Korisko January 27, 2013 at 9:29 pm I hear you, Priska. I still think goals and outcomes are very important. However, we often sabotage our success by expecting too much too soon. By the way: Your daily actions that move you in the right direction are little goals that youre achieving along the way Congrats! Reply
13 Sandra Pawula January 27, 2013 at 8:52 pm Thats a fascinating story of chunking. Its easy for frustration to come up when you only look at the big goal. I like this idea of taking small, regular steps. Reply
14 Gary Korisko January 27, 2013 at 9:31 pm
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Thank you, Sandra. I like it, too. When you pay attention to those little wins, not only is it motivating but it makes you see that the distance to the big goals is getting shorter and shorter. Glad you enjoyed it & thank you for contributing to the conversation! Reply
15 Krystal Levi January 27, 2013 at 8:54 pm Excellent article!! Thank ou!! Reply
16 Gary Korisko January 27, 2013 at 9:32 pm Thank you, Krystal! Youre welcome. Reply
17 Amit Amin January 27, 2013 at 11:34 pm Nice post Gary! Im a huge fan of the micro perspective despite the name, or perhaps because of the name, its taken me long distances. Reply
18 Gary Korisko January 29, 2013 at 2:20 am Glad you enjoyed it, Amit! Thank you. Reply
19 Roman Soluk January 29, 2013 at 11:25 am Thanks for these great tips! I like the point about long and short term goals. This is really effective. I follow this principle and its working. Reply
20 Gary Korisko January 29, 2013 at 12:01 pm Youre welcome, Roman. I agree breaking it up into smaller pieces helps a ton! Thanks for speaking up.
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Reply
21 frederick mover January 30, 2013 at 2:33 am I feel this is one of the such a lot vital information for me. And i am satisfied reading your article. However want to statement on few normal things, The site style is perfect, the articles is truly great : D. Just right activity, cheers Reply
22 Gary Korisko January 30, 2013 at 7:49 am Thank you, Frederick. Much appreciated! Reply
23 Ben February 2, 2013 at 10:21 pm I tend to have an overall direction im going in while having some other goals along the way. I know my closest goal im working on at the moment and I know what my overall goal is. I think its definately important to have both of these. -Ben Reply
24 Gary Korisko February 3, 2013 at 9:09 am Hi, Ben. Exactly. I agree that it really helps to keep your eye on the short term goal first. Thanks for commenting. Reply
25 Meditative Mind February 4, 2013 at 2:22 am That is so true. Nothing significant happens overnight. And my this year goal is not to achieve something but to be consistent and patient with what I am doing without any expectation. Easier said than done. But that is a what I am going to put my thoughts into. Reply
26 Gary Korisko February 4, 2013 at 9:51 pm Easier said than done is often true. But difficult is still doable. With the attitude you just
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shared, Ill bet you get the job done! Thanks for sharing. Reply
27 Baolin Liu February 6, 2013 at 10:26 pm Very good on perspectives and how it come make a world of difference. Especially about appreciating your progress and short and long term goals. Reply Leave a Comment Name * E-mail * Website
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5 Tips For Setting Smarter Goals With The Micro Perspective

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