Think Small

To achieve big, you will need to think small

• Create an actionable plan

One of the most surprising pieces of advice to come out of the wellbeing literature perhaps is the importance of developing your curiosity. At the simplest level, this is about actively seeking to ‘take notice’ of the sights, sounds and sensations around you and to savour these moments.

We usually assume that when we set ourselves a goal we will probably pursue it with focus and attention, drawing heavily on our slower, reflective system.

It’s a curious and wonderful thing about the human condition that we are often a mystery to ourselves

Think Small is not a checklist.

trengthening your social relationships;

getting healthy and active;

learning something new;

being more curious; and

giving to others.

Experiments have repeatedly shown that losses hurt us about twice as much as equivalent gains, and that we ascribe most value to things we already possess (something which behavioural scientists call the ‘endowment effect

So, when you are setting yourself a reward, do it in partnership with your commitment referee and ask them to enforce the terms of your binding commitment, which will include determining whether or not you deserve the rewards you have set yourself

If you follow these four simple elements – link the reward to your ultimate objective; make it meaningful; make it binding; and use loss aversion – your reward will likely spur you to your goal more quickly