The importance of small steps

I’m a big fan of taking small steps towards my goals and rewarding myself along the way. When I’m starting a new habit or trying to get something done that I either don’t feel motivated about or am overwhelmed by, I try to break the task down into manageable chunks. After every small chunk is completed, I get a treat of some sort.

For example, technology is something I find challenging, but I need to engage with it to do my work. So, when I decided I wanted to start a mailing list, the first step was to write down all the tasks I thought would need doing in order to initially set it up. This looked like:

1. Research newsletter providers

2. Choose a provider and set up account

3. Figure out how to use it

4. Create link to account to share on social media

It looks straightforward, but it felt overwhelming to me at the time (especially when I suddenly realised that the “Figure out how to use it” step was actually several steps, including a “Connect integration to website’”step). Anyway, after every step was completed, I cheered myself on (literally, my partner also works at home and he was giggling at me). Then I gave myself a small reward. This varied from a cookie to a cup of tea to allowing myself ten minutes to just play with my cats. And it worked! In the end, I got the task done, despite how difficult it had felt to me. Sure, it took me longer than it would take some people, but I always knew it would. (By the way, if you’d like to subscribe to my mailing list, you can do that here.)

How does this relate to writing? The same logic applies. If you’re struggling to write your novel because you’re feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand, try breaking it down into chunks and rewarding yourself at each milestone. This might look like creating a plan to write 2,000 words a week, or one scene/chapter, or one short story (depending on your writing goals). First, you’ll need to figure out when and where you’re going to do that writing. Here you’ll need to be realistic.

If you struggle to find the time to write every day (and who doesn’t?) then can you carve out a couple of hours on, say, a Saturday morning? If so, do your writing then. If you get to Saturday and you find you were only able to write 1,000 words in your allotted time and then you have to do something else, you might consider changing the goalpost for next time to 1,000 words. Crucially, don’t beat yourself up for not getting 2,000 words written! Instead, reward yourself for sitting down to write and get curious about why you weren’t able to accomplish the 2,000 words. Was it because this wasn’t a realistic writing goal for you (maybe you’re never able to write that much in one sitting)? Were you too tired to focus? Maybe the place you chose to write was too distracting? Figuring out why you didn’t manage it will help you to adjust your plan going forward.

Going back to the mailing list analogy, I had to switch gears entirely when I couldn’t get the integration to work. While it was probably something simple that I was doing wrong, in the end I decided the process was too frustrating and I switched providers. Of course, this entailed going back and doing some of the same steps again, but because I’d found a better service, it didn’t take me as long as it had the first time around. This kind of thing happens, and it sucks, but the most important thing is to not let it stop you in your tracks.

If you continue to break your goals down into small steps, recognise your achievements, cheer yourself on, get curious about what’s not working and why, and change course when necessary, you will reach your goals. And when you do, I want to hear about it!

What have you found helpful for reaching your goals, writing-related or otherwise? I’d love to hear, so please feel free to share in the comments below.

And if you’d like someone to help you break down your writing goals into manageable chunks and help cheer you on, why not check out my coaching service? There’s nothing I find more satisfying than seeing writers finish their stories.