Make modest goals that are easily achievable. This is the idea of “baseline goals” and “stretch goals.”
Baseline is “no matter what.” E.g., exercise 15 minutes no matter what every day. Stretch is what you really want. E.g., lift 4x per week is what you want. Baseline you can hit even if the wheels fall off your life.
You have to give yourself the experience of achieving a goal with ridiculous ease. You don’t give up the possibility higher achievements by doing so. In fact you give yourself emotional fuel to go for the gusto and hit those higher goals.
This is how you start to build the mindset of knowing (more than just believing) that you can be relentless and unstoppable.
Everything is achievable given enough time and repetition. We are all impatient and want to accelerate our achievements.
Better to start super small and let time’s gravity work for you to build momentum. You choose direction. Time adds momentum. That yields (ta da, physics) velocity — speed in a specific direction.
Specifically how:
- Set a goal. This is directional. It may be over the horizon in your belief. No matter. Set it anyway. Life is a series of daily marches toward the horizon.
- Look at what you’re doing right now. If you’re doing it you can keep doing it. This is your foundation. (E.g., my nutrition goals start with the fact that I eat oatmeal almost every morning. Fiber, etc. etc.)
- There are probably some associated behaviors around that good thing you’re doing that are not helpful. (E.g., I put maple syrup on my oatmeal).
- Start down the path as-is. Keep doing what you’re doing and you will keep getting what you’re getting. It’s easy because you’re doing it now.
- Slowly, slowly subtract the counterproductive and leave the productive standing. Via negativa, to use Taleb’s concept. (Stop putting maple syrup on your oatmeal).
- Don’t worry. You will expand and evolve from here. The “excellent breakfast” habit will stick. It might morph to scrambled eggs instead of oatmeal. Who knows?
Build an almost imperceptible foundation, known only to you and God. But build it.
Easy does it. But do it.