[One Idea Monday] 1/2 the Goal = 2x the Motivation

Akwaaba friends,

💡 1 Idea: 1/2 the Goal = 2x the Motivation

If you want to increase your motivation or chance of doing something, just lower the goal.

• If you want to write daily, aim for 200 words each day, not 1000.

• If you want to work out daily, don’t aim for 2 hours each day, do 10 minutes instead.

Building a habit is about showing up, even if the work you put in isn’t “remarkable”.

Lower the goal! Build a habit first. Make it better later.

This also applies to asking someone for something you want.

❌ “Can you help me edit this 10,000-word essay?”

✅ “Can you help me edit this 100-word paragraph?”

❌ “Can we schedule a 1-hour call?”

✅ “Can we have a 10-minute chit-chat after the event?”

Lower the ask! Follow with bigger asks later. Build agreements on top of agreements.

This is called the Foot-In-The-Door approach. Next week, I’ll present a completely opposite approach to this, but should get you the same result.

💬 1 Quote

You can ask for anything you want, if you’re willing to get less of it.
- Daniel Stillman

❓ 1 Poll/ Question

Context: I just booked a flight to Duke to see my all-time favorite professor. It was very out of my way as I’ve already made a Spring Break plan. But after her call (to lure me), I remembered the biggest lesson she taught me: Always ask “Would I regret not having done this?” before making a decision.

That question taught me that the higher my willingness to embrace an opportunity, the lower the degree of my future regrets.

So my question to you is:

When was the last time you wished you had done something?

Tell me in an email or the comment section, I would love to hear it!

See you next week!