Whenever you listen to or read about high performers, you most likely come across advice to set big, audacious goals. However, it is easy to become anxious when you look at that humongous goal and wonder whether you will ever achieve it.
Doubts can set in, and you may find yourself giving up on your “wishful thinking.” Before you abandon your audacious goal, read on and learn how “chunking down” can make a seemingly impossible goal become attainable.
What is “Chunking Down”?
Chunking down refers to backward planning or starting with the end in mind and then retracing the steps that you need to go through to accomplish that target. It is reverse planning, as opposed to traditional planning where you start at the beginning and identify the next step, and then the next until you reach the end point.
For example, if you would like to have a net worth of at least $1million dollars by the end of ten years, chunking down that goal requires you to divide that big goal in half so that you know how much your net worth should be in five years if you are to hit the $1m target at the end of a decade.
At Year 5, your net worth should be at least $500,000 if you are to be on course to hit the $1m net worth in 10 years. Next, chunk down that $500,000 so that you know what your net worth needs to be in 2.5 years if your 10-year goal is to be achieved.
At 2.5 years, your net worth should be at least $250,000. Continue chunking down until you have monthly, weekly and even daily targets to aim for as you work towards the audacious 10-year goal.
When you break down your huge goal into bite-sized portions, it becomes a lot easier to attain that bigger goal since you can clearly see how what you do on a daily and weekly basis builds momentum towards achieving the big 10-year goal.
What Are The Benefits of Chunking Down Goals?
Chunking down your goals or engaging in backwards/reverse planning is powerful because of the many benefits that it comes with. They include:
- Boosting motivation. When a big goal is chunked down to the level of what you need to do each day to attain it, your motivation soars because of the strong belief that you get regarding the attainability of the day to day actions.
- You develop laser focus. Chunking down goals ensures that everything you do is focused on your long term goals. It is therefore easier to avoid distractions or “noise” that can cause you to go off-track.
- Effective use of time. Chunking helps you gain clarity about your priorities, and this results in more effective use of time on what matters most.
- Boosts confidence. Doubts, imposter syndrome and other negative self-talk can creep in as you work towards an audacious goal. However, when that goal is chunked down, confidence soars because you have broken that goal into “atomic actions” that are so easy to attain that there is no doubt about the attainability of your long term goal.
Ensure You Have The Resources You Need
Chunking down or reverse planning enables you to identify the challenges that you are likely to face on your journey to the bigger goal. Once you know those likely obstacles, plan how to overcome them so that they don’t jeopardize the attainment of your clearly defined and chunked down goal.
One of the possible resources you can have on your side is an accountability partner or an experienced coach who will hold you accountable for hitting those different milestones that you have set. Having a coach ensures that you get the help you need to stretch yourself and overcome any roadblocks on your way.
In Which Aspects of Life is Chunking Down Applicable?
You can apply this coaching tool to every aspect of your life, whether it is health and fitness goals, relationship goals, career goals, business goals, and so on. You simply describe where you want to be in 10 years, and then chunk it down in half until you reach the goal or target for each day and week.
Remember to start at the top with a very clear goal, and then systematically break it down into increasingly smaller halves until you get to your target for a day. In this way, you will not lose sight of the big goal as you go about taking the necessary daily actions that power you towards the big goal years away.
What Happens When I Achieve The Big Goal Sooner Than Expected?
If you are so focused and are so vigilant in working towards the huge goal that you achieve it sooner than expected, congratulations! Don’t sit back! Get to work and set another huge goal, and then follow the same process of chunking it down.
Attaining one peak/goal provides an opportunity to set your sights on yet another peak, so that you supercharge your performance and progress. The added benefit here is that you will be more confident about your ability to achieve any goal you set, so the next target you embark upon is likely to feel a lot simpler than the previous one. Haven’t we all heard that it is harder to attain your first million bucks than it is to attain the next ten million?
Summing It Up……
Chunking down any long term goal you set makes it a whole lot easier to attain that goal, because you have a clearly defined roadmap detailing what you need to do daily in order to stay on course to the attainment of the 10-year goal. Each milestone, such as an annual milestone, which you complete, renews your zeal to keep going because the periodic feedback about your progress is a huge motivator. What are you waiting for? Get a pen and paper and begin chunking it down in every aspect of your life!