TLDR: Goals tell you where you want to go. Next steps tell you how you’re going to get there.
CAVEAT: You can get moving with next steps, but you need goals to maintain a consistent direction.
(As always, find your next step at the end!)
I haven’t always been a goal-oriented person.
Or at least, I wouldn’t have described myself that way.
Objectively, even during my most turbulent years, I was doing things like designing and crafting complex sewing projects, moving house regularly, and completing higher education.
I’ve thought a lot about how a “non-goal-oriented person” could achieve these things, especially with the generally poor attitude I used to have (it’s not lovely to admit, but self-awareness is how we grow … so I’ll also admit I’ve got More work to do).
Now, I know how I did those things. In fact, it’s how I do pretty much everything in my life.
I go one step at a time.
It sounds almost too simple. Because … is there any other way to do things?
Yes. Yes, there is.
Another way to do things is to put so much emphasis on the end result that you’re crushed under the weight of goal-pressure, you become paralyzed, and ultimately achieve nothing at all.
Or, you could try being so committed to the long-range vision you set for your goal that you don’t notice until five years in that you don’t actually care about that particular thing anymore.
In either scenario, there’s no getting that time back.
But when you move forward one step at a time, you take away the pressure of having to know everything all at once. You give yourself the luxury of experiencing (and enjoying) your little achievements along the way. And you give your goal the space to mature naturally over time, letting it become the best version of itself—the version you’ll still want five years from now.
This is all really good news for us because it means that no matter where our starting point is, we can make more for ourselves than we have right now.
But amidst all this good news, there’s sometimes something else. Sometimes, there’s something standing between us and even setting a goal at all.
I think that ‘something’ has two parts: the fear of commitment and the danger of stagnancy.
Even when we know we’re unhappy with the way things are, it can seem too daunting to actually change them. When we make ourselves really look at what’s not working, there can be all kinds of complex, scary feelings involved.
Then sometimes, when we’ve managed to jump that scary hurdle, we find ourselves losing steam as time ticks on and we’re still ‘not there yet’.
I’ve found the most success when I break my goals down into small, un-scary steps and keep myself going by always having the ‘next’ ones ready.
Maybe I’m just a spookable horse. But keeping my blinders on and staring directly at the next thing I need to do instead of looking at how far I still have to go helps me get moving.
Some people might call that tunnel vision. But it’s what has gotten me started on so many things that sounded too big to tackle.
Take this blog, for example. Even though I’m a natural writer, the idea of creating a whole website to post these essays and sharing my thoughts publicly (especially when blogging is now considered ‘dead’) was pretty scary.
So the first thing I did was set other people’s opinions about the value of blogging aside. Then I started super simple by creating a single-page, barely-designed free Carrd site (hello and thank you to anyone who miraculously found it when it was in existence!). Then I used small next steps to work my way up.
It felt so good when I first started bringing my idea into reality that I became unwilling to submit to the stagnancy that I knew was sitting right around the corner.
So I designed a system to keep myself going.
I created a running list of three steps I could take to move toward what I wanted. Whenever I felt stuck, I would look at my list (you know that feeling—you know you should know what you’re supposed to be doing but for some reason your mind is … blank).
Then I’d pick one and do it.
There was no pressure to think about it every day. There were just a few steps ready for me whenever I had the opportunity to work on my goal. And over time, writing down individual steps has given me clarity on what I want to get (and hopefully give) out of my blog.
It helped so much in maintaining my momentum that I expanded my list into three arenas with three steps each: my current goal, my home, and myself.
Soon, I realized that I was using my ‘3 Next 3’ system often enough that it deserved to be its own printable form. You can visit my Etsy shop by clicking here to get a digital download for less than $2. Your support would be endlesslyappreciated!
But you don’t need to buy printables to do this for yourself. Just take a piece of paper (because it’s been proven that writing them on paper drastically increases your chances of reaching your goal!) and write down three things related to your goal. They don’t have to be in any order and they don’t have to be of equal significance.
For example, if your goal is to have a home that functions better, you might write things like:
Spend 15 minutes decluttering a high-use area
Find one thing making housework take longer than it should
Read Marina’s essay on the 5 Foundational Systems Every Home Needs ;)
My 3 Next 3 is one of the simplest systems I’ve ever designed, and yet it pays me back in spades. It’s fast, easy, and fluid, which makes its usefulness evergreen. I hope you’ll try it for yourself!
HERE’S YOUR NEXT STEP:
Write down three things in the same arena (i.e. home, work, self) and keep that list handy this week. Whenever you find yourself with a few extra minutes, pick one thing from the list and do it!
P.S. If you’re looking for somewhere to capture your next steps, try my 3 Next 3 worksheet by Clicking Here