Breaking Down Goals into Tasks for Better Success

As the new year rolls around, many individuals take this as an opportunity to reflect on their lives and make necessary changes to improve their well-being. This often includes the creation of resolutions and goal setting. However, this eagerness to change and improve tends to wane as the year progresses, with many individuals falling back into old habits and failing to achieve their desired outcomes.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with setting goals and resolutions, a common pitfall is creating an extensive list of broad and unrealistic aspirations. This often leads to a sense of overwhelming pressure and a lack of direction as to how to achieve these goals. So, how can we set ourselves up for better success when it comes to achieving our goals and creating new habits?

A Task List Helps Form Habits

Rather than creating a lengthy list of goals, one approach that has proven to be effective is to break down goals into specific, actionable tasks. Instead of a goal such as “Go to the gym 3 times a week”, try setting up a task list with items such as “Do cardio workout Monday” or “Attend yoga class on Wednesday”. These specific tasks provide a clearer roadmap to achieving the overall goal and allow for a greater sense of accomplishment upon completion.

Tasks are the Roadmap, Goals are the Destination

Undoubtedly, setting goals is important, but it is essential to recognize that tasks act as the roadmap that will lead towards achieving those goals. Attempting to achieve a lofty goal such as “Lose 50 pounds” can be daunting and leave us feeling overwhelmed. On the other hand, focusing on completing tasks such as “Do a cardio workout for 30 minutes today” or “Cook a healthy dinner tonight” creates a sense of immediate and tangible accomplishment, leading to a greater likelihood of achieving long-term success.

An Example

Consider the example provided by the author regarding their experience with learning to use the open-source 3D animation package, Blender. Rather than setting a broad goal of “Learn Blender”, which could potentially lead to a lack of direction and frustration, they created specific tasks such as “Do Tutorial 6 in the Blender manual” which allowed them to break down the learning process into manageable and accomplishable tasks. The result was a greater sense of progress and accomplishment, leading to more motivation to continue learning.

In conclusion, creating effective habits and achieving long-term goals requires more than just stating our aspirations outright. Instead, creating specific, achievable tasks that lead to our desired outcomes can help break down the process into manageable steps, providing a clearer path towards success. It’s important to recognize that habits are the foundation for achieving our goals, and tasks are the building blocks to creating these habits. So, next time you set a goal, remember to break it down into smaller, achievable tasks to set yourself up for better results.