We’ve all been there—staring at a huge goal that looks about as doable as climbing Everest in flip-flops. You want to start, but the scale of it paralyses you. Whether it’s launching a business, writing a book, changing careers, or just getting fit, the problem isn’t usually motivation. It’s overwhelm.
You’re not lazy. You’re overloaded.
Big goals demand big energy, and your brain doesn’t like big—it likes clear and doable. That’s why the key to getting big things done isn’t heroic effort. It’s strategy. It’s learning how to eat the elephant—one bite at a time.
Step 1: Shrink the Mountain
When you think of a huge goal, your brain does a quick cost–benefit analysis. If the gap between where you are and where you want to be looks too wide, it quietly whispers, “Not today.” That whisper is deadly.
So, you shrink the mountain.
Instead of “I want to run a marathon,” say, “I’ll run three times this week.”
Instead of “I need to launch my business,” say, “I’ll draft my first offer.”
Breaking things down doesn’t make you less ambitious—it makes you more effective. You’re not lowering your standards; you’re designing a staircase instead of a leap.
Each small win keeps your brain’s reward system ticking. You feel progress, and progress is addictive.
Step 2: Break It, Then Build It
Let’s say your goal is to double your income or grow your business. Where do you even start? You dissect it into chunks. What are the key areas that make that result possible? More sales, better systems, improved marketing? Great. Now, take each of those and break them again until you have pieces small enough to act on this week.
This is how leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs stay focused. They don’t wrestle with the whole beast every morning—they work on one piece of it at a time.
Imagine how you’d eat a pizza: slice by slice. (No metaphors, but let’s be honest, this one works.)
The trick is to set actions so specific that you can’t wiggle out of them. “Improve marketing” is vague. “Email three past clients today” is not.
Step 3: Time-Box the Tasks
Have you noticed how a task expands to fill all the time you give it? If you give yourself a week to write a report, you’ll take a week (maybe more). If you give yourself two hours, you’ll probably still get it done.
That’s Parkinson’s Law in action. The cure? Time-boxing.
Decide how much time you’ll spend, set a timer, and do nothing else.
Big goals are easier when you contain them in small time slots. It’s like turning a sprawling to-do list into a series of short sprints. You’re not promising to run forever—just long enough to make a dent.
Even 20 minutes a day compounds fast. That’s 10 hours a month. Imagine what that does to a goal when you stack it over a year.
Step 4: Track Your Wins
Most people track what’s left to do. Smart people track what’s already done.
There’s real psychology behind this. When you mark progress, your brain releases dopamine—the same feel-good chemical that keeps you scrolling social media. But instead of chasing other people’s achievements, you start celebrating your own.
Keep a visual tracker. Cross things off. Add gold stars if you like. The point isn’t decoration; it’s momentum. Every tick tells your brain, “We’re winning.” And a brain that believes it’s winning doesn’t quit.
Step 5: Expect Resistance
There’s a moment in every big project where it stops being fun. You’ve eaten the easy bites, and what’s left feels tough, boring, or confusing. That’s when most people stop—not because they can’t continue, but because they didn’t expect that dip.
World-class performers know that resistance is a signal, not a stop sign. It means you’re stretching. The trick is to anticipate it and plan for it.
Set “minimum days”—when motivation dies, you still show up for a small action. One call, one paragraph, one workout. That keeps the streak alive.
Progress doesn’t require perfection; it requires continuity.
Step 6: Make It Fun
If you want to stick with a big goal, make it enjoyable. Gamify it.
Give yourself points for consistency. Set mini-rewards for milestones. Compete with yourself—or a friend.
Research shows we stick to things longer when there’s a sense of play. It turns obligation into curiosity. Suddenly, “I have to” becomes “Let’s see if I can.”
That’s not just psychology—it’s leadership. You’re managing your own motivation like a pro.
Step 7: Reconnect with the Why
Every so often, zoom out. Ask yourself, “Why does this matter?”
Big goals lose energy when they become about to-do lists instead of meaning. You started with a reason—to build freedom, make an impact, or become your best self. Remind yourself of that often. It gives purpose to the grind.
Purpose fuels persistence. When you know why, the how gets easier.
Step 8: Review and Rebalance
Sometimes the reason you’re not moving forward isn’t laziness—it’s direction. You may have taken a wrong turn or set the wrong target. Regular reviews let you course-correct before you crash.
Ask yourself:
- What’s working?
- What’s not?
- What’s next?
The point isn’t perfection; it’s adjustment. Pilots don’t fly in a straight line—they make constant small corrections. That’s what keeps them on track.
Apply that thinking to your goals and you’ll reach them faster, smoother, and with far less drama.
Step 9: Celebrate the Small Stuff
We wait far too long to celebrate. We tell ourselves we’ll feel proud when we finish. But success isn’t a single moment—it’s a series of them.
Treat progress like progress, even when you’re halfway there. Celebrate effort, not just outcomes. Have a great week? Reward yourself. Hit a milestone? Tell someone. Your energy is renewable, but only if you acknowledge it.
Step 10: Teach What You Learn
Nothing reinforces mastery like sharing it. When you explain what you’ve learned to someone else, it sticks. That’s why coaching, mentoring, or just helping a friend achieve their goals accelerates your own growth.
You become the kind of person who not only achieves things—but helps others do the same. That’s leadership.
The truth is, success doesn’t belong to the people who dream the biggest. It belongs to the people who start small, keep going, and learn along the way.
Breaking goals down doesn’t make them less impressive—it makes them achievable. Each small win builds the next until one day you look up and realise you’ve climbed the whole mountain.
The process is simple:
- Shrink the mountain.
- Break it down.
- Keep moving.
- Enjoy the game.
The rest takes care of itself.
Big goals can feel overwhelming—but they’re not out of reach. You just need a plan that works with your brain, not against it.
That’s what Winning The Game is all about. It’s not another book on willpower—it’s a field guide for building momentum, making progress, and actually enjoying the journey.
You’ve already taken the first bite. Now keep going—one clear, confident step at a time.