WHY STARTING SMALL IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Many of our clients who come in, have lofty ideals. The conversation always starts off with “Listen, I have about 2 months left before I have to attend (fill in: wedding/reunion/presentation, etc.) and I want to look real good, I want to lose 35 # pounds! Do you have a diet -plan I can go on?” While it is good to dream big there is a flip side. Research done by Harvard Business School found that even small setbacks can have an extremely negative effect in the workplace (we are assuming that this is true while we set out to reach big goals in any area of our life).

Teresa Amabile, professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School ¹, discovered how critical it is for teams and individuals working on complex problems to achieve small wins regularly. While these studies were done in work settings the principles seem practical enough to apply to other areas that involve moving towards big goals.

WHY SMALL VICTORIES MATTER

1) THE DOPAMINE EFFECT: On days when participants made progress, they reported more positive emotions. They not only were in a more upbeat mood in general but also expressed more joy, warmth, and pride. In particular, the neurotransmitter dopamine is released which energizes us and gives us a feel-good aura. “This chemical enables us not only to get that sweet feeling of reward, but also to take action to move toward what triggered its release in the first place” to quote the author. This is exactly what we want when we are aiming for a long term difficult goal.

2) SETBACKS HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS

Amabile and Kramer found that setbacks are so common in dealing with important problems that people become disheartened unless they can point to some meaningful advance most days. This strategy propels long-term goal achievement.

This observation can have similar parallels in achieving weight management goals- how many times have we started off a New Year with lofty resolutions only to have set-backs? What started off as a little overeating at a party soon spirals downward – a couple of missteps later, we fall off the diet wagon and throw in the towel , “Oh well! I am never going to lose this weight. I give up. I have no self-control!”

3) BOOST YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE

Amabile found that the practice of recording our progress helps us appreciate our small wins which in turn boosts our sense of confidence. We can then use this to tackle bigger goals.

RD’s Verdict: GO SLOW!

For instance, while setting health goals, instead of starting with a monster goal of 20# in one month set a more manageable goal of 1-2 pounds per week. This will increase your chances of actually getting there and you will do it at a medically safe pace. This will then motivate you to move closer to your ultimate goal.

You may think, “Are these modest changes even worth the effort?” Think again. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)², a major multicenter clinical research study, found that participants who lost a modest amount of weight (7% body weight – that is about 12# for someone with body weight of 180#) through dietary changes and increased physical activity sharply reduced their chances of developing diabetes- even taking medication could not reduce the risk as much.

Here are 3 fun ways you can set a small goal to achieve success:

1.“EAT THAT FROG” APP: You can go to www.briantracy.com and read about this app. It helps you set up one single goal that you are struggling with and help you break it into smaller steps and set deadlines with reminders. Seeing the frog swallow the goal at the end of completing the task -Priceless! Now any app that is based on the same principle can help you achieve your goal.

2.FOLLOW OUR CALENDAR: Instead of going on an aggressive restrictive diet approach, maybe picking one healthy habit to practice for a month may propel you towards success. At the end of the month you would have tried several ideas to achieve a single goal and you can pick your favorites to make into permanent habits. This is exactly the idea behind the calendar on our website. Check it out!

3.REWARD YOURSELF: Check out our Pinterest board for some fun and cool ways to set small goals and actually motivate yourself to achieve them. Celebrate those small wins with rewards – give yourself that dopamine rush that carries you to the finish line. Rewards could be small like buying a favorite song for your playlist or getting a tech gadget. Select something that makes you tick.

4.SELFIES: Yes – selfies! Selfies can be a powerful way of seeing your body change over a period of time. Use it to inspire you and others (if sharing on social media!). VLOG anyone?

Remember change is not easy. It takes at least 21 days for a new habit to take shape. How do you create small goals and achieve them? It may be simple and even silly! If you have an interesting tip, please share in the comment section. Who knows, this may help spark a big change in someone’s life. We love hearing from you! Until next time.

Nourish. Transform. Inspire.

Mer & Meena

(PS: please read our disclaimer before using our tips and ideas)

References:

https://hbr.org/2011/05/small-wins-and-feeling-good&cm_sp=Article-_-Links-_-End%20of%20Page%20Recirculation
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/research-areas/diabetes/diabetes-prevention-program-dpp/Pages/default.aspx