Big goals and little goals

I’ve set a goal of drinking eight glasses of water a day. Most days I don’t quite get there, but instead end up somewhere between 4-6 glasses. But that’s a lot more than I averaged last year.

I’ve also set a goal of reading through the entire Wall Street Journal every day. Most days I don’t quite get there, or just skip over certain sections, or some days don’t have time to read it at all. But by setting the goal, I’m reading the Journal far more frequently and deeply than I have in the past.

My point is this. Big, audacious goals don’t really mean much unless you can break them down into meaningful, actionable, accessible, “little” goals.

This year, I have set goals of reaching and maintaining an ideal body weight, and running a marathon. There are several micro-habits I’ve chosen to help me achieve each, and drinking more water is one of them.

I also have specific but very aggressive professional goals for this year. Encouraging myself to do the little things, like more consistent reading of key publications, will help me get there.

What’s your audacious goal this year, and what are the “little things” you’re committed to to get there?