WEEK-IN #31

Incremental Development

We all have goals which we would like to reach one day. But, building a path to it is what most of us are lacking. That is why we are unable to digest the fact that we are nowhere near it. We might actually be on the right track, but get demotivated quickly looking at how much more is left. This is where Incremental Development comes in. 

Your goal is not to run 6km today. Your goal is just to run 1km at any cost. Run the same 1km every day for a week till your body makes it a habit. Next week, increase 10%. That's a small 100m upgrade. Absolutely fine. Run 1.1km that whole week. Next week, add another 10%. Your goal is just to run that target distance for that week. Takes time to reach 6km, but once you reach it, no limit is unthinkable. Cause, you have made it a habit.

Similarly, if you would like to lose 10kg, make a goal of losing 1kg every week. Of course, you can decide on the threshold and stick to it. So, by the end of every week, the moment you see a kilo less on the weighing machine, you get excited and motivated that you have reached your goal rather than thinking about the other 9kgs and getting demotivated. Same with studies. Want to complete a subject? One chapter at a time. Want to build new skills? One topic at a time. Make a habit, cause motivation won't last long.

In one of Will Smith's interviews, he was explaining a story where his father had ordered him and his brother to build a wall. They both started building it. Will Smith used to get scared every day about how much is left. One day, he said the same to his father. His father replied," Your target is never that wall. Your target is always that one brick. One brick a day is all that you'll have to think of." We all have long-term goals, but chasing short-term goals is what keeps us motivated. So, we split it up and build one brick at a time.