Hope in Action: How Setting Micro Goals Activates Grit and Mindfulness
Hope is a powerful force that drives us to pursue our dreams and overcome obstacles. We believe things can improve, and our efforts will lead to positive outcomes. When combined with micro goals, small, manageable tasks that break down larger objectives into achievable steps, hope becomes a tangible strategy for success. Combining hope and micro goals can lead to significant achievements and personal growth.
But our to-do list will not get us there. We need a Ta-Da list.
Success is not achieved overnight; it requires careful planning and deliberate actions. But there is a huge difference between having long-term, short term, and micro goals. Long-term goals emphasize cultivating strategies that blend passion and perseverance over extended periods of time. Earning a degree, securing a position in your chosen field, and getting married can be examples of long-term goals. Short-term goals typically involve events like taking a class for a few weeks, traveling to a destination for vacation or an event, finishing a creative project, or doing yoga twice a week for a month.
Micro Goals: How They’re Different and How They’re Helpful
But micro goals allow us to focus on much more immediate tasks—something that can be completed in 20 minutes to two hours. They drive our awareness closer to the moment we live in—and allow us to stay focused and engaged. For example, I might have a long-term goal of completing a degree, a short-term goal of taking a summer class toward that degree, and a micro goal of reading a chapter from one of the course-assigned books over the next hour.
When I can set and complete a goal in a short amount of time, I don’t just cross it off my to-do list. I get a Ta-Da for having achieved it.
A key feature of setting micro goals is that the motivation level does not need to be high to initiate movement. A small amount of motivation for a limited time can be very satisfying. The reason why this satisfaction is important is that it generates hope.
The Connection Between Micro Goals and Hope
Hope comes from the belief that we can positively influence the future. When we set a micro goal, move toward it, and complete it quickly, the payoff activates dopamine. This neurotransmitter is responsible for making us feel good. This is the Ta-Da part of the formula. Hope is a positive emotion with unique properties. It is the only positive emotion that requires uncertainty to be activated and is directional in nature. Making a micro goal a little bit more doable reduces uncertainty, and that burst of dopamine fills us up and makes us want to achieve more. Ta-Da!
Kicking Off the Upward Spiral with Micro Goals
Setting and achieving small goals builds our sense of influencing our future. As we engage and succeed, we feel motivated to do more. This is the beginning of what is known as an upward spiral. Little by little, we gain traction, control, and a sense of accomplishment when micro goals are attempted and achieved. Using micro goals to chip away at this mountain of greater goals leads to success in planning and achieving short-term and, eventually, long-term goals.
Setting and achieving small goals builds our sense of influencing our future.
The beauty of this technique is that it brings us a little closer to the here and now. Most meditation techniques, such as mindfulness meditation, encourage being fully present. Micro goals are an active form of meditation. We facilitate engagement in a better and stronger way when we set our goal on the immediate horizon in front of us.
Research in dispositional mindfulness—focusing on what one thinks and feels in the moment without judgment—finds that the two character strengths of hope and grit are activated. Why would this be? The short answer is that being hopeful and persistent are goal-oriented strengths. The more present we are, the more likely we are to envision and attain a goal.
Strategic planning involves setting clear objectives, identifying the necessary steps to achieve them, and creating a roadmap for success. By breaking down big goals into smaller, more manageable micro-goals, you make a pathway to realistic and achievable success. Strategic planning also helps individuals stay focused, motivated, and organized as they work towards their objectives.
The key is feeling agency—a sense of control and autonomy over their actions and decisions. When you have a strong sense of agency, you are more likely to take initiative, set ambitious goals, and persist in facing challenges. Individuals can effectively set and achieve micro goals that contribute to their overall success by taking ownership of their actions and decisions. Cultivating a sense of agency empowers individuals to take control of their lives and create their desired future.
When you have a strong sense of agency, you are more likely to take initiative, set ambitious goals, and persist in facing challenges.
Micro goals also give us that dopamine-infused feeling of success more often. When we savor this feeling, taking a moment to acknowledge the satisfaction of celebrating success, no matter how small, we extend the positivity, maintaining motivation and momentum. Acknowledging and rewarding progress can boost confidence, morale, and a sense of accomplishment. Small wins are stepping stones towards bigger achievements, reinforcing the belief that hard work pays off and that success is within reach.
How Celebrating Achievements (Even Small Ones) Keeps Us Going
Celebrating by crossing something off your to-do list and then allowing yourself the gift of feeling satisfaction fosters a growth mindset, gratitude, and a sense of fulfillment that fuels further progress and growth. Set a micro-goal, accomplish it, savor the sense of achievement, and repeat.'
This blog article was on my to-do list for today. I had exactly one hour to write before my next meeting. I outlined the topics I wanted to cover, wrote out my ideas for the narrative, and then edited it heavily to get it under 1000 words. I got it done in 58 minutes.
Ta-Da!
