You achieve any big goal by breaking it into short-term goals you can reach within 12 months, writing them down and tracking your progress. Most people think getting everything they want takes luck. The argument here is that it takes the right steps in between, and that most people skip them.
The article explains the stepping-stone idea behind short-term goals, how progress unfolds from zero to a hundred, what the research cited says about writing goals down, and why direction matters more than perfection.
Watch the full video here, or skip to the breakdown below.
The idea at a glance
- Why big goals fail without stepping stones
- Short-term goals are the stepping tiles
- You only need to see 200 feet ahead
- From 0 to 100: how progress unfolds
- What the research on written goals says
- Pick a north star and be directionally correct
Why big goals fail without stepping stones
Picture yourself looking to cross a gap on tiles. With every tile in place the trip looks easy and predictable. Remove a few, and it takes a lot more effort to get from one tile to the next, and depending on how strong, ready or lucky you are, you may not make the last jump. Remove every tile from here to the end, and not even a double jump gets you there.
The script says this is how most people set goals: I want to be a billionaire, I want to be famous, I want to marry a perfect 10. With the tiles missing, the goal is out of reach, whatever sits on the end tile.
Short-term goals are the stepping tiles
What you put on the end tile is your big, long-term goal. The tiles along the way are your short-term goals, which are the ones you aim to reach within the next 12 months.
At the start of a race everyone has the same goal, which is to win. The winner is decided by what happens between the starting line and the finish line. To be successful you need to know your short-term goals and reach them, because each one opens the possibility of the next.
If you feel lost in life, the script says this is why: you lack the short-term goals that let life unfold.
You only need to see 200 feet ahead
Imagine driving at night on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Your headlights light 200 feet ahead. You cannot see the whole road, but if you are on the right path, those 200 feet are enough to arrive safely. All you have to do is reach the next short-term goal.
You do not travel the world all at once, you go from place to place. Today you might not know what will make you a multi-millionaire, and that is fine. What you want is to build momentum toward it, because everything of value unfolds as a series of events. Do not try to skip steps.
From 0 to 100: how progress unfolds
The script splits progress into stages:
- 0 to 1: the smallest possible action, instead of just dreaming about it
- 1 to 10: learning the fundamentals and putting them into practice
- 10 to 80: the discipline of working without quitting, even when it gets really hard
- 80 to 100 and beyond: a leap that can only happen once you have made 80% of the progress
The light at the end of the tunnel only shows up as you come close to it. As you reach goals you learn what the next ones should be from the new information revealed along the way. A golden rule from the script is that the fewer the steps to the big goal, the harder it is.
What the research on written goals says
The video cites studies suggesting that only about 3% of people write down their goals. Roughly 83% have no specific goals, and 14% have goals they keep in their head without putting them on paper or making a plan.
It also cites a business report finding that people who set goals are 10 times more likely to achieve them, and a university study (Dr. Gail Matthews, 2015) in which 61% of goals written down on paper were achieved.
The takeaway is that we are good at reaching goals when we know exactly what they are, especially when we have a good reason to follow through and keep monitoring progress.
Pick a north star and be directionally correct
You need a north star in life. You do not need to be perfect, but you do need to be directionally correct. Even if you stop halfway or fail at the big goal, you end up better off than everyone who never left the first tile.
Every bit of progress makes you feel better about yourself and more confident in making more. Goals that were out of reach at the start become possible as you hit the short-term ones.
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Without the right tools and a decision to move toward your goals, you stay where you are. In the script’s words, you do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems, guidance, tools and insights.
Luck is not a strategy
The method is short. Name the big goal, list the tiles that lead there, write them down and track your progress. Aim for what you can reach within 12 months.
Then take the smallest possible action today, because that is the move from 0 to 1.
FAQ
How do you achieve any goal?
Break the big goal into short-term goals you can reach within 12 months, write them down, and track your progress. Each short-term goal opens the possibility of the next one.
What counts as a short-term goal?
The script defines short-term goals as those you aim to achieve within the next 12 months. They are the tiles between where you are and your long-term goal.
Does writing goals down help?
The video cites studies suggesting only about 3% of people write down their goals. It also cites a study in which 61% of goals written on paper were achieved.
Why do big goals feel out of reach?
Because the steps in between are missing. The script says the fewer the steps to the big goal, the harder it is.
Do you need to be perfect to reach a big goal?
No. You need to be directionally correct. The video says that even if you stop halfway, you end up better than people who never moved from the first step.
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