Why Thinking Small Is The Secret To Big Success

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter Drucker

"I have yet to see a problem, however complicated, which when you looked at in the right way did not become still more complicated. " - Poul Anderson

How many times have you heard this? Two, maybe three times? How many times have you thought this? Never once, right?

This is what you, the ambitious thinker, are thinking - that it's one or the other. You think that either A) your goal is too big to reach or B) you can't start because there's no way to reach it.

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You are wrong. Big goals are easier to reach than small ones, because you have more wiggle room. That's why the most successful people in history all had one thing in common - they failed again and again before becoming the successes that they were remembered for. They're not remembered for their big successes; they're remembered for their failures, because it's the small steps taken in pursuit of a big goal that get you there.

It sounds contradictory, doesn't it? It feels contradictory. Big goals are intimidating, and they're more intimidating when you don't know how to start reaching for them. Small goals are easy - you just do one thing today to get one step closer to that goal.

But where do you draw the line? How small does your "small" goal have to be, and how big is too big? How do you start this vicious cycle where you take a step towards a bigger ambition rather than just dreaming about it for all eternity? The key lies in the understanding of the flaws in both our thinking and reasoning when faced with this situation.

The Root Of The Problem: Optimistic Bias, And Expectation Effect

What do we expect at the end of a road we've never travelled before? We don't know; we can only guess. People's expectations almost always overestimate the benefits of reaching a goal or task, and underestimate the time it will take to get there. This is known as " Optimistic Bias ", and it's very dangerous when talking about ambitions, dreams, and goals.

" There are two tragedies in life. One is not getting what one wants. The other is getting it. " - Oscar Wilde

What happens when you get to the end of the road? When you finally reach that goal, or finally complete that task? It's depressing. You expected happiness, satisfaction , an increased sense of self-worth and achievement - but what did you actually get? Disappointment . This is called " The Expectation Effect ". It's the reason why lottery winners are no happier than average people despite being a lot richer, and it's also the reason why achieving a goal you've been working on for months or even years feels so empty.

When we set goals, especially ambitious goals, we expect happiness at the end of that road. But what if there is no end? What if it's an endless road littered with smaller goals that are the true test of your ambition, not the destination?

The Roadblock: A Lack Of Direction And An Overabundance Of Possibilities

When you set a small goal, there is no other direction for you to go bar forward. You get out of bed, you do what you planned to do, and then you go back to bed. Nothing comes in between your goal and you - it's all too easy.

This is where the problem lies. Ambition is complex; it cannot be described simply by a single word or phrase like "small" or "big". It's many different things rolled into one. Think of it like the word "pizza" - by itself, it describes nothing about what pizza actually is, how it tastes or where you can get some.

Just like ambition, there are many different types of ambitions; small ones and big ones; easy ones and difficult ones; short-term and long-term. Once you learn the difference, you will be able to set small goals that get you closer and closer to your bigger, more complex ambitions.