How do you execute on your big goals? Execute on small goals.
Zak Slayback has an excellent post titled “Why I Spend 10 Minutes Every Day Making Coffee in A French Press.” In the article, Zak states that by creating something early in the morning you’ve already achieved something.
The idea is simple: if you start your day by getting something done, you’ve already started with an accomplishment before you even get in the shower.
Although creation, and accomplishment, is a stellar way to start your day, teaching yourself how to make a good cup of French press coffee teaches execution on bigger goals.
Perfecting French Press Coffee
Okay, that’s a pretty small goal, making french press coffee every morning. But try perfecting it, and perfecting it for your taste-buds. I guarantee you can’t do it on your first try. But when you start trying, you start realizing all of the factors that go into a perfect cup of coffee.
What kind of bean should I get?
How many coffee beans should I grind?
How much should I grind them, is that even an option?
How hot should the water be?
Should I pour the water over the beans fast or slow?
How long should the beans steep?
When should I start pressing the coffee?
Do I pour all the coffee at once or should I leave it in the press?
These are only a sampling of the myriad of questions you’ll ask yourself. But on your first try, you weren’t even aware these questions existed. You wanted coffee, so you made it the best way you could. Without a starting point, without trying to execute once, you never would’ve known these questions existed.
The only way to realize your path to perfection is to start executing.
Big Goals? Start Executing on Small Ones
Much like perfecting a pot of French press coffee, any big goal you want to achieve is not going to be simple. It might be fun to dream up something you want to do, but it’s really hard to execute on it. Instead of trying to achieve your dream at one fell swoop, try taking the French press approach. Make it your goal to execute on something simple, something on your path to your big goal, but something you know you can achieve.
Eventually, you’ll perfect the smaller goal, raising your competence and confidence, and the next step to achieving your big goal will reveal itself. Without starting, you won’t know the questions to ask or the path to achievement. Start small, figure out the path forward, and work your way up. It’s fun to build castles in the sky, but you won’t build your castle until you sit down and do the work. Your path to achieving your big goal starts from executing on small goals.