Let’s be honest:
Big goals can feel intimidating.
Whether you’re trying to make a career change, launch your own business, get in shape, write a book, or simply feel more at peace in your daily life – it’s easy to look at the end result and feel overwhelmed. The distance between where you are now and where you want to be might feel impossibly wide.
In fact, it can feel so daunting that many people never even begin.
But what if the real secret to achieving your goals wasn’t hustle, willpower, or massive action?
What if the key to success – and to feeling good while getting there – was something much simpler?
Why Big Goals Often Feel Unreachable
Most people approach goals like a mountain: huge, heavy, and all-or-nothing.
They imagine needing to climb all 10,000 feet in one go – no breaks, no mistakes, no time for self-doubt. They set ambitious plans, create rigid schedules, and then feel like failures when life inevitably gets in the way.
Sound familiar?
This “all or nothing” mindset can paralyze progress. It turns the journey into a burden rather than an adventure. It leaves no room for grace, joy, or growth. And worst of all – it disconnects us from the deeper why that made us set the goal in the first place.
So how do we shift that?
How do we make our goals feel more possible, more human, and more aligned with the life we actually want to live?
We chunk it down.
Chunking Down: The Secret to Making Progress Feel Possible
One of the most powerful mindset shifts you can make is this:
Don’t try to do everything at once. Break it into manageable chunks.
This approach – sometimes called “chunking” – is used by Olympic athletes, startup founders, recovery programs, creatives, and productivity experts. It’s also deeply intuitive.
Why? Because it mirrors how real change happens: not in one giant leap, but in thousands of small, consistent steps.
Let’s say your goal is to change your career and leave the corporate world behind. That’s a huge shift, right?
But chunked down, it might look like:
- Week 1: Journal about what isn’t working anymore in your current role.
- Week 2: Explore 3 career paths that light you up.
- Week 3: Reach out to someone who’s made a similar leap.
- Week 4: Sign up for a free course or webinar.
Each of these steps, on its own, is simple. But strung together with intention, they start to form a path.
And more importantly: you feel that path under your feet.
Fall in Love With the Process, Not Just the Outcome
Another trap we fall into is being so obsessed with the outcome that we forget the process.
We get fixated on the final result:
- “I want to lose 20 pounds.”
- “I want to make six figures.”
- “I want to publish my book.”
- “I want to quit my job and travel the world.”
But the thing is, outcomes don’t sustain motivation – process does.
When we fall in love with the daily rhythm of showing up, taking action, and honoring our progress (no matter how small), we create something more powerful than fleeting motivation. We create momentum.
Here’s what that might look like:
- Instead of “I have to write my whole book,” it becomes: “I joyfully write 300 words today.”
- Instead of “I need to overhaul my diet,” it becomes: “I’ll add one extra tasty vegetable today.”
- Instead of “I need to build a business,” it becomes: “I’ll share one helpful idea online this week.”
These small steps are not only more achievable – they’re more enjoyable. They allow you to experience your own growth as it’s happening.
Why Celebration is a Productivity Tool (Not Just a Bonus)
Let’s pause on something that often gets skipped over:
Celebrating your small wins isn’t fluffy – it’s neuroscience.
Every time you acknowledge a small win, your brain gets a hit of dopamine. This feel-good chemical helps hardwire the behavior into your system. In other words: when you celebrate progress, you’re more likely to repeat the behavior again tomorrow.
So if you completed a tiny task toward your goal? Celebrate it.
It might look like:
- Saying, “I’m proud of myself for showing up today”.
- Taking a mindful moment to breathe in your progress.
- Writing down your win in a “Progress Journal”.
- Sharing it with someone who supports you.
Over time, these little moments of self-acknowledgment become anchors. They reinforce the idea that you are someone who follows through. And that creates identity-based change – one of the most sustainable forms of transformation.
The Myth of Instant Results—and the Truth of Daily Progress
Let’s be real: some days will be slower than others.
You’ll have off days. You’ll miss a step. You’ll wonder if you’re going backwards.
This is normal. Progress is rarely linear. But when you zoom out, you’ll notice something miraculous:
Small wins in succession create unstoppable momentum.
Imagine putting one brick down every day. You might not notice much at first. But weeks or months later, you look up—and there’s a wall. Or a house. Or a whole new version of your life.
That’s the power of small, consistent action.
You may achieve some goals and fail to achieve others. But the feeling of moving forward, even slowly, generates confidence, self-trust, and a deep sense of aliveness.
Progress Is Happiness
There’s a psychological principle you might’ve heard of: progress is happiness.
Not success. Not perfection. Progress.
When we feel that we’re evolving – even by a fraction – we feel better. We feel more capable. More in control. More alive.
This isn’t just motivational fluff – it’s supported by research.
In fact, a Harvard Business School research project found that the most powerful motivator at work wasn’t money, praise, or promotions – it was the feeling of making progress in meaningful work.
The same applies to your personal life.
When you’re actively growing, creating, changing – even in invisible ways – you’re giving your brain, heart, and spirit the exact nutrients they need to thrive.
So rather than chasing outcomes that always feel one step away, anchor your happiness in the movement itself.
The Hidden Gift
And here’s something beautiful that might surprise you:
Over time, you might discover that the goals themselves weren’t the most important part.
Sure, you might lose the weight, get the job, hit the revenue, move to the dream city. But ask anyone who’s made it to “the top,” and they’ll often tell you:
What mattered most was who they became in the process.
Because the real reward isn’t the result. It’s becoming:
- Someone who shows up, even when it’s hard.
- Someone who listens to their inner voice.
- Someone who learns, adapts, and grows.
- Someone who keeps going—not because they have to, but because they want to.
That’s a kind of freedom no outcome can give you.
And, great news, it’s available to you today, not at some mythical finish line!
Final Thought:
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do that.”
— Howard Thurman
Because what the world really needs is people who are alive.
People who have chosen to live intentionally. People who take one courageous step after another. People who build the life they want—bit by bit, breath by breath.
So today, ask yourself:
- What’s one small action I can take?
- What chunk of my goal can I focus on today?
- How can I celebrate the process instead of waiting for the outcome?
The journey starts now.
Not at the top of the mountain. Not at some future date.
Here. In this moment. With one step.
And that step is enough.
Need extra support dealing with overwhelm? Download my free resource From Overwhelm to Order.
I help people heal, grow, and create the life they deserve. Ready to begin? Book a Free No-obligation consultation now.
— O.S. Michael
