“A
river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its
persistence.”_Jim Watkins
Why do so
many of us fail to keep new resolutions—especially, the ones accompanying a new
year?
According
to widespread records, more than 80% of us do.
Is it
because change is too hard?
Or is it
because the majority of people are weaklings?
Now, how do
we train ourselves to become the type of persons who can make new decisions and
live by them?
If you have
interests in these kinds of questions, this article is written for you.
First of
all, know that winning at anything is not really complicated once we understand
the process of progress.
Winning is
the natural consequence of unshakable consistency at doing whatever it is that
we need to do to achieve the result we want. That level of consistency is nurtured
by momentum, and momentum is the engine of real success.
The reason
many of us fail to accomplish certain things is simply because we lack the
momentum necessary to propel us toward the destination of desire.
Therefore,
the idea of today is to suggest a strategy for creating such momentum, which
will contribute more to our self-efficacy and personal effectiveness.
However,
the proposed idea is in contrast to setting a daunting goal and facing it with grand
acts of grit that are beyond the capacity of most people. It is not about using
superhuman strength to force our way to victory.
It is about
using a slow but steady pressure to create a momentum for success. It is about choosing
to be a tortoise rather than a hare. It is the strategy of minimum regular dose
(MRD) of right actions and essential inputs.
To create a
minimum regular dose for a goal, ask yourself this question: “What is the
smallest version of my goal that, if started early and repeated daily can
cumulatively get me the timely result I want in the nearest future?”
To be clear, this doesn’t
mean our ambition should be cut down to size; quite the contrary! Our goals should be as high as we can imagine
but the necessary daily actions should be set at the barest minimum of potency
and effectiveness.
As you may
know, I synthesize my phrase (Minimum Regular Dose) from the term, ‘Minimum
Effective Dose’ used by Tim Ferris, the author of the bestselling book, ‘4-Hour
Work Week.’ In a nutshell: the concept is all about the least effective steps
we need to consistently take for steady progression and ultimate achievement of
the goal that we have chosen.
For
example: If we need to take only three steps consistently, we don’t allow our
ambition drive us to plan for seven. We deliberately strategize for the minimum
viable move that is essential for the realization of our purpose.
So, instead
of starting with the gritty approach that we may not be able to sustain in the
long-run, we adopt the minimum regular dose, as a reliable method to accomplish
the goal of our choice.
Clearly, the
way to ensure consistent right action is to design something you can maintain. The
concept of minimum regular dose will guarantee your progress and eventual success
on any goal that you may seek.
When you effectively
design a minimum regular dose of action, you instantly create a defense against
burnout and the possibility of failure.
For
example: instead of thinking to read the whole encyclopedia in a burst (which
may never happen), you apportion the content by certain number of pages per day
(e.g. three pages a day).
This is tangible
enough to establish the good habit of daily reading and it is easy enough for almost
anyone to sustain. The beauty of this strategy is that, it is easy to stick to.
Even on a very turbulent day, you can still find a way to read just three pages.
And that continuous
success generates in you the identity of someone who can live by their plans,
especially when it is easier not to. Here in lies the amazing windfall of
minimum regular dose: the force of a new identity.
Now, after you
have accomplished your daily minimum, you can still choose to go further on
some days, and the progress you are making will strengthen your confidence to
do even better, the next day. As a result, you will be anticipating tomorrow’s
turn, rather than dreading it.
Finally, once
momentum fully takes over, you can eventually achieve beyond what you had
initially imagined. In other words, your original resolution is practically
guaranteed. That is the power of minimum regular dose.
