Small Action: 3x3x3

I’m sure you’ve been in a similar situation…a huge list of all the things that NEED to be done, and very little motivation to actually do them.  This is where our Big Goals go to die…

We let ourselves get wrapped up in the overwhelm of how big the project is, how many things there are to do, and how long it will take to actually do it.  And while we are ruminating over these things, our primitive brain convinces us that staying safe, i.e. giving up and quitting, are easier for us, and therefore the better option.  So we give up, feel a dopamine hit from the relief of the weight off our shoulders, and put our big goals and dreams on the shelf.

But what if we could get a dopamine hit by taking action instead of by giving up.  What if we can decide to take steps that are so small and easy that even our primitive brain can’t argue with them?  

This is exactly where my small action philosophy comes into play, and why it has worked so well for me.

The idea is that we break each big goal down into the smallest task possible to convince our primitive brain that doing it is better than not doing it.  We cut out all of the drama, eliminate the need to hype ourselves up, take away all the resistance and just move one step closer.  So, how does it work?

First, from your very specific big goal, decide the 3 most important things you need to do to move forward in this month, this is your Monthly Big 3.  

Then, at the beginning of each week, review your Monthly Big 3 and choose the three most important things you will do this week to move forward, this is your Weekly Big 3.  

Finally, at the beginning of each day, review your Weekly Big 3 and select the three most important things you will do today to move forward, this is your Daily Big 3.  

Look at your calendar and put an appointment on your calendar, for the appropriate amount of time, for each of your Daily Big 3.  

Now, when those appointments pop up, just do the thing.  Whatever it is.  Just do it.  And then bask in the dopamine hit of marking a very important task off your to do list.  

If you’ve done it correctly, your primitive brain won’t even flinch.  It will let you do the task, mark it complete and move on.  But, sometimes we have hesitation or resistance.  In that moment, you know that you have not made the task small enough.  Instead of completing the task now, spend the allotted time breaking it down into smaller steps.  Then, in the coming days, those newly created steps become part of your Daily Big 3.

Rinse and repeat.  Enjoy the luxury of three huge dopamine hits each day.  Reward yourself for keeping the commitments you’ve made to your self.  And allow every little step to add up to not only big progress, but confidence to keep moving forward and doing harder and harder steps along the way.

You’ve got this.  You just need to train yourself to do what you want.

In fact, this topic is exactly what I’m teaching more about during my next free coaching session in the Make It Happen series.  Join me live on Monday January 15th at 1:00pm MST, or watch the recording later.  Either way, you need to register at purawell.com/2024 for access.  See you there!