Why you need to break down big goals into smaller pieces

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Last Updated on January 6, 2021 by karissa ancell

Last month I wrote about the reasons why you should be setting big goals. If you want to make big things happen, you need to set big goals. You need to be able to achieve them, though, and that’s what this post is about. We are talking about why you need to break down big goals into smaller pieces.

All this talk about goals may make you feel overwhelmed at times, and you may begin to question why you should be setting these goals and how you are going to get things done and accomplished. So why do you need to break down big goals into smaller pieces? There are a few reasons why and some ways to make it easier to do. 

Why do you need to break down big goals into smaller pieces?

When you start making more major goals, you also are making goals that take more effort and time to accomplish. So how can you make it more likely for you to achieve these big goals and dreams? Well, you need to break down big goals into smaller pieces or goals. Setting smaller goals will make them more manageable. 

You don’t want just to set the big goal because all though that goal is probably excellent and your life will be better if it happens. The thought of this big goal can be overwhelming, and that can cause you to procrastinate and avoid working on it. 

Say you want to lose weight and you need to lose 40 pounds. That’s a big goal. Doable but seems hard if you just think I have 40 pounds to lose! So break it down. You have 40 pounds to lose in 4 months. That makes it 10 pounds which is not so big and overwhelming. Then there are 4 to 5  weeks a month, so that means 2 to 2.5 lbs a week. Now you just need to focus on what you need to do each week to lose those 2 pounds. Much easier than trying to figure out how you can lose 40 pounds at once. That isn’t possible and can feel like it will never happen, but if you break it down, you can make a plan and reach smaller goals that add up to your big goal. 

So how do you break down big goals into smaller pieces?

I have shared before the system I use to set goals. My basic process is to set larger goals for the year or each quarter and then break them down into smaller goals and tasks to do during the parts of that time frame. 

Too often we hold ourselves back from achieving greatness. First by not setting the right goals and then by not knowing how to tackle those goals. That is the importance of learning how to break down the big goals you set. You can do that by breaking things down into monthly weekly and daily goals.

Another way to break down a big goal is to take a piece of paper write out your goal and then list 3-5 things you need to do to make that goal happen. These are your smaller goals leading to your big goal. You can even break them down by listing out 3 steps to take to get them done.