Let's take a look at the effects of massive action vs. Small action. Don't let the "small" part fool you because it is packed with consistency. You know what we call a habit. The main difference between the two is that massive action would be getting on the phone and doing 30 cold calls today. Small action would be making 3 phone calls today. When doing a great number of calls, you are more likely to concentrate on hitting the targeted number. Using the small action method allows you to concentrate on the content and context of the call in order to increase your chances of obtaining your goal.
Of course you can do both every single day but ask yourself which one do you think will bring you the most results? The rushed approach or the meaningful and attentive approach?
The key in small action is to develop a habit. If you are about to google the meaning of a habit let me save you the time. A habit is something you do often and for a long period of time if not your entire life. So much that you don't even think about it. What is the first thing you do after waking up? Which leg do you insert first when putting your pants on? When crossing your arms, which one goes on the top? You get the idea, we do things without being consciously aware of the sequence.
One great example that caught my attention was an excerpt from James Clear's book "Atomic Habits" where back in 2003, Great Britain hired Dave Brailsford as its new performance director. He went on to change things inside the team little by little each day. He tested different suit fabric on the cyclists, changed the seats on the bikes for better comfort and performance, then went on to changing the athletes mattresses and pillows and even hired a surgeon to train them on how to wash their hands to prevent getting a cold.
The result? They went on to win over sixty gold medals at the Olympics within ten years. Every gradual small change they made added up to the end result.
How can we apply it in our ever day lives and should we totally neglect massive action? The simple answer is no we shouldn't. A good strategy is to combine the both. To me massive action is to take a fully committed decision. The small continuous action comes in when I break down my massive goal into small pieces and I target them each day. One block at a time. This reduces my level of stress as well as doesn't let me get desperate. In my coaching and trainings, I make sure that my coachees/ participants get a chance to work on identifying both in order to have a clear overview of what is ahead. Setting realistic goals are also the key to not burning out trying to hustle and reach your massive goal in a fraction of the time that it would normally take but that is for another blog topic.
In conclusion, although massive action is important, we should not dismiss the importance of continuous small action because that consistency is what will most likely pay off. Look at it as a compounding effect that overtime, will create massive results. Sincerely,
Jeury Tavares
PS: If you are interested in self development and would like to find ways to improve yourself and your life, check out my website for tips and/or to get on a coaching discovery session with me which just takes a minute to schedule. Looking forward to hearing from you.
