One strategy I use for achieving goals is the idea of a “minimum effective dose.” Let’s say I want to improve my consistency in reading, so I set a small, attainable daily goal that I will read one page. Some days I may only read one page, but I have achieved the goal simply by opening the book for a few minutes. Most days I am likely to read more than one page because I am already reading a little bit and I’m not intimidated and paralyzed by a huge goal. I learned this concept from Benjamin McEvoy for improving reading but I use this strategy in many other areas of my life. Here are a few examples:
Housework: ten minutes to clean the kitchen or I make one improvement.
Scripture study: each day, read until I feel the Spirit and find something for me.
Violin practice: play one song.
Writing: write something each day. It can be a journal entry, a note, a blog post, a few words in my book…anything.
I am amazed at how well this works for me.