The habits guru James Clear notes, “All big things come from small beginnings.”

In other words, the best reason to start small is that you’ll be able to go big.

Why? Neuroplasticity expert James Garrett (www.brainbydesign.com) notes that our brains are hardwired to avoid new things. The human brain likes the familiar and the regular, not the unknown. New information and tasks involve more brain work – and our brains prefer using less energy. So, we invent reasons not to begin.

I see another pitfall. Many of us tend to pick a big goal without breaking it down into component parts, which gives us another reason not to begin. Think about New Year’s resolutions, which usually involve sweeping change. They’re too daunting. We may not even start trying to achieve success. Only 7% of us achieve our New Year’s goal if we start.

With that in mind, Garrett proposes developing mini habits, conscious repeated patterns that the brain likes, which can be used to get started and reach attainable goals.

This has a great upside:

While the brain hates starting things, it loves continuing them. When we master a mini habit, we want more. That’s how we get to go big.

My take on getting started is that after you’ve decided on one goal (yes, one) that you want to achieve:

  1. Break it down into the smallest useful pieces. If you want to clean out your basement, start by committing to sorting through five boxes.
  2. Pick the shortest amount of time you can commit to getting something done. For example, it may only take 10 minutes to tackle five boxes.
  3. Pick a consistent time to tackle the task, perhaps after breakfast. I like this format: “After I do X, I will do Y.”

Sorting five boxes, doing five pushups, or making five prospecting calls may feel like nothing, which is perfect.

That low bar encourages consistency and lets the activity quickly become a habit.

Finally, give yourself a pat on the back every time you do your mini habit. Our brains love that.

And, as always, get in touch when you need to grow but aren’t sure where to start. We love being a thinking partner who helps accelerate change.