How Short Challenges and Mini Goals Work for Me

It started with a Burpee.

I have said NO to New Year’s Resolutions and instead break down goals to create Short Challenges or Mini Goals.

I either find a Challenge online or create a Challenge for myself. There is more of a focus on creating Mini Habits by completing a Challenge or mini goal. They have worked for me! Challenge yourself for one month and you may end up with a new habit. 

The first Challenge I set for myself was a Burpee Challenge (an exercise…in case you were wondering). No, the burpees themselves were not life-changing. But my eyes were opened by this simple challenge. I was shocked that the simple task of setting the specific small goal and holding myself accountable by tracking my progress really worked.

In the past I had been a regular (if not obsessed) exerciser. Finding the motivation to exercise had never been hard for me. Pre-kiddos I worked out 6-7 days per week. After having my daughter, I still worked out regularly (even trained for and ran a marathon).

Enter 2 kids…it’s a tad harder.

This fall I worked out less often than I have since my pre-high school years. I was getting very frustrated, wondering if I had really become that tired and lazy. Running and exercising had been a huge part of my life. I was wondering if the new (2 kiddo) me wasn’t going to love working out?

I started with one simple change. I set up a 4 week schedule, noting how many burpees I wanted to complete each day. I then recorded the burpees each day. So simple.

I then set up another 4 week schedule. I hit my burpee number every week for 8 weeks. (I allowed Sunday as my catch-up day.) No, it wasn’t my ideal for exercise, but it was a start and I was moving again. I learned that it’s OK to be happy with a smaller step as a way to work towards larger goals. I had been struggling with the motivation to get back into a consistent workout schedule, but instead of getting frustrated I was able to appreciate that the smaller exercise goal at this time in life was OK.

There are just 2 simple steps for setting up a Challenge or Mini-Goal. Here is how short challenges and mini goals work for me:

Create or Find a Challenge Creating my burpee schedule and morning wakeup schedule was very simplistic. Brainstorm (Mini Goal Brainstorm Schedule printable) what mini goals you want to set, then make a Challenge Schedule. Here is a simple example of my Bedtime and Wake-Up goal schedule:

If your goal isn’t as simplistic and you aren’t sure where to start, there are great Challenges that you can find online.

Here are a few examples:

– If you are overwhelmed with where to start on decluttering and simplifying your home, here are a few challenges: 150 Things You Can Toss Out Right Now or Get Organized With the 30-Day Declutter Challenge.

– Join Uncluttered – a 12-week course by Joshua Becker. 

– If you don’t know where to start with fitness after baby (or want to get rid of a mummy tummy), strengthen your core and rediscover body confidence with MUTU. 

– Do you want to join a writing challenge? My 500 Words by Jeff Goins is a 31-day challenge you should consider.

– I wanted to add a short workout around the holidays, so I signed up for #12daysofpilates through The Balanced Life. It was e-mailed to me every morning. There was no planning on my part, I just got the e-mail and completed the quick Pilates workout. Bonus: it happened to be FREE.

Record Your Progress Write it down! This has been key for me. During my quest to wake up early, I made a schedule where I could record Bedtime and Wake Up times. I felt more accountable, as I knew I had to record both my bedtime and wake-up time. I’m on my 4^th week and am going strong with my 6 AM wake-up!! It’s working, and I have now created an early morning waking habit. 

If you created a timeline for a larger goal (using the Mini Goal Brainstorm Schedule), set up a Challenge or Mini Habit schedule as a smaller step in your big picture goal. Check out my Habit Tracker here.

Will you be signing up for a Challenge this month? Or will you making your own personal Challenge?