Bite-Sized Goals For A Feast of Success
If reaching your goals feels too big, go small. Get actionable strategies you can start today to move the needle on your creative work!
Why Micro Goals Are the Key to Big Success 🔑
Micro goals—small, achievable steps—can be the secret to reaching your bigger goals.
Breaking down a big goal into smaller, manageable tasks makes the journey easier, more effective, and creates more opportunity to celebrate your progress.
“We start our journey to our dreams by wanting, but we arrive by focusing, planning and learning.” - Christina Wodtke, author of "Radical Focus"
Why Micro Goals Work 🧠
The power of micro goals lies in psychology. Research shows that short-term, specific goals boost motivation and increase your chances of success.
Why? Because checking off small wins gives you a sense of progress, releasing dopamine—the brain’s "feel-good" hormone.
On the other hand, setting massive, vague goals without a clear plan can often lead to feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. Micro goals create momentum and keep you motivated by turning a daunting task into smaller, actionable steps. They act as stepping stones, helping you stay focused and committed as you work toward your ultimate goal.
How to Set Micro Goals
Here’s how to set micro goals that actually work (and won’t make you die inside):
What’s your big dream? Seriously, what do you want to achieve? Get crystal clear on it—no vague stuff like “be successful.” Think big, but think specific.
Break it down like a boss: Got your big goal? Cool. Now slice and dice it into smaller, bite-sized tasks. These are your micro goals: Less scary, way more manageable.
Be specific (like, really specific): Don’t just say, “Work on my book.” Instead, say, “Write 500 words a day.” See the difference? One’s a plan, the other’s just wishful thinking.
Keep it real: Lofty goals are tempting, but if you’re setting yourself up to climb Everest in a week, you’re gonna burn out. Aim for something challenging but doable with your available time and energy.
Deadlines are your new BFF: Give each micro goal a timeline because nothing gets done without a deadline, right?
Celebrate like you mean it: Hit a milestone? Treat yourself. Tacos, a dance party of one, or even a silly selfie to commemorate your progress.
Be ready to pivot: Life’s messy, and that’s okay. If things change, tweak your goals. Flexibility isn’t failure; it’s smart planning.
Consistency is everything. That’s what keeps you moving forward.
Think of your micro goals like planting seeds. Little by little, even if the weather’s rough, you’re growing something amazing.
Micro Goal Examples You Can Set Right Now 💡
Need some micro goal inspiration? Here are just a few ways you can put your ideas into action and achieve your goals!
Growing Your Substack Subscribers 📈
Creating a successful Substack newsletter takes time and effort. It's not something that happens overnight. Setting micro goals can help you stay motivated and on track in growing your subscriber base.
For example, instead of just setting the goal of “growing your Substack”, break it down into micro goals that you can quantify with an achievable subscriber rate:
Week 1: Engage with 50 or more potential subscribers through Substack Notes by commenting. Share your content in Substack Chats where appropriate and when prompted by the author channel. Restack quotes from other authors and invite discussion. Ask questions. Give more than you take.
Week 2: Share your newsletter on existing social media channels with a clear call-to-action to Subscribe. Add your Substack newsletter link to relevant Facebook Groups that allow self-promotion. Create Story content about your articles and link to your Substack. Create a short intro video about your Substack and pin it to your top content on social channels. Set a goal of 10 or more subscribers over the course of 7 days.
Week 3: Collaborate with another Substack writer and cross-promote each other's newsletters. Reach out to ten or more Substack authors to set up a collaborative post or content promotion exchange. Set an appropriate subscriber goal based on promotional efforts and current followership of participating collaborators.
Week 4: Offer a freebie or exclusive content for new subscribers. This can be a bonus post, a digital download, video content, or exclusive audio post. Promote on social media, in groups, and Substack chat. If you have a newsletter with another platform, promote your Substack. Set an achievable number of subscribers that you feel you can reach based on current interest and past efforts.
By setting these smaller goals that you can quantify, you can track your progress, learn more about what works for your newsletter and readers, and celebrate the victories along the way.
Read More Books In A Year 📚
Reading just 10 pages a day adds up to 3,650 pages in a year, an impressive habit with big results.
At this pace, you could finish 12 to 14 books annually, matching the average person's yearly reading total.
Set 15 minutes aside a day to read daily and start stacking up finished books!
Create More Art and Music 🎸
Setting micro goals for creating more art and music doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Instead of aiming to finish an entire project, set smaller goals to get your motivation and inspiration flowing:
Spend 30 minutes each day with your art and music. This can be research, working with a new technique, or getting your creative workspace organized. Being in the state of action will keep you motivated and moving your work forward.
Learn a new technique or skill each week and apply it to a new or current project.
Collaborate with another artist or musician to bring fresh energy into your work and gain new perspectives.
The Journey Matters 🛣️
Progress isn’t a straight line—it’s more like a squiggly doodle. There will be ups and downs, twists and turns, but that’s all part of the journey. Embrace the process and celebrate every step you take towards your goals.
You are not defined by your successes or failures, but rather by your determination to keep moving forward. Remind yourself of this on the tough days when it feels like nothing is going right. Every setback is just a detour on your path to success.
Challenges? Setbacks? They’re just part of the ride. Think of each hurdle as life’s way of handing you a free lesson (no tuition required).
It’s also important to remember that achieving your goals shouldn’t come at the cost of your mental or physical health. Take breaks when necessary, practice self-care, and adjust your goals if they start to feel overwhelming.
Ultimately, the journey toward your goals is just as important as the goal itself. Embrace the ups and downs, and use them to become stronger and more resilient. With determination, persistence, and a positive mindset, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
Keep pushing forward and trust in yourself, and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish. Remember, success is not a destination but a continuous journey of growth and improvement.
Because in the end, it’s not just about reaching your goals, but also enjoying the creative process that leads you there.
Start small, stay consistent, and trust in your ability to succeed. You’ve got this!
💡Actionable Idea: Document The Process
Use a tool like Loom to record your thoughts and work-in-progress. Loom allows you to record audio, your screen on laptop, desktop, and mobile, and video. This will help you create a diary of your creative journey so you can see how far you've come and potentially turn it into behind-the-scenes content for your followers!
Very actionable, very meticulous and lucid