How to Move the Needle (When the Needle Refuses to Budge)

This is What Getting Started Looks Like?

So, you finally got the gumption to start. After weeks (or even months) you overcame your trepidation and fear to put your goals into action. Then . . . nothing. Nope, the needle on your progress hasn’t budged an inch. Maybe it’s even gone the other direction. 

It’s difficult to continue putting in effort when you aren’t seeing results, especially when you worked so hard to get started. “Why should I even bother?” you think.

I have personally experienced working my booty off, only to be rewarded with bupkis for an extended period of time. I’ve coached people teetering at the edge of giving up.

Maybe your story is like one of their stories:

• You’re working out. You’re eating healthier food and faithfully going to the gym, but you haven’t lost an ounce. It’s so frustrating. 

• You are creating content online, but all you’re getting in return is a symphony of crickets. 

• You’re applying to jobs but haven’t received any notifications - no interviews, no rejections. Nothing.

• You have an online business, but you have no sales.

• _________________ (Fill in the blank with your current situation)

Why do you feel so defeated? Because the response or outcome you expected did not align with the one you received. This is the Expectation Gap.

Even if you are thinking, “But I didn’t didn’t think anything in particular would happen!”

I’m going to throw it back at you and tell you that you did. It’s the only way you can feel disappointed. If you expect nothing and you receive nothing, then you feel nothing.

Invest in the process, not the outcome.

Invest in the process, and you are more like to not only hit your outcome but surpass it. 

Focus on becoming a master of process. Be exceptional performing the process that gets you to the goal. Placing your energy into the process makes achievement replicable. It’s like a factory assembly line where the worker has a very specific job to complete. They get really good at that thing.

James Clear says to get 1% better in his book Atomic Habits. To amplify that statement, I say “focus on the 1%, don’t get distracted and overwhelmed by the 99%.”

How do you do that if the needle is stuck?

Pick the effort that you will need to repeat consistently to arrive to your destination:

• Is weight loss your goal? Continue eating right and exercising, regardless of the number on the scale.

• Is your goal to be a content creator online? Continue creating your content of choice (short form, long form, written, video, etc.), regardless of the number of people following you.

• Want a new job? Keep applying to jobs, regardless of the lack of contact, interviews, or feedback.

• Want to grown your e-commerce business? Keep sourcing and listing quality items to sell, regardless of the lack of sales.

Add the element of incremental improvement that can be monitored:

• Can you tighten up your diet or improve your form when exercising? Can you increase the weight you’re lifting?

• Can you improve one thing to heighten the quality of your content? What does the algorithm of your platform expect you to do well? Killer titles? Then focus on writing better titles. Thumbnails? Then practice improving those.

• Can you tweak your resume to closely match keywords in the job description or practice answering interview questions by doing some online research?

• Can you reach out to customers viewing your listings to see if you can make a deal? Can you improve the SEO (search engine optimization) of your listing?

All these tasks are things you have to do to get results . . . so do them.

How Moving the Needle 1% Works

Focusing on moving the needle incrementally (1% improvement) signals to your brain that you are growing. Growth (personal or professional) gives you the sense of motivation. It’s what keeps the wheel turning. 

This growth results in what is called The Compound Effect. The log of 1% improvements exponentially impacts progress and outcomes. Just like slowly investing your money in a quality investment over time results in compound returns, investing improvements into your process will result in compound results.

Making incremental improvements also leads to new habits. These habits become your new normal. It’s a slo-mo, stealth approach to replacing unwanted behaviors with preferred behaviors. This approach ingrains these preferred behaviors into your thoughts, words, and actions over time, making them more sustainable. 

This is why people who lose weight over a period of time, slowly changing their dietary and exercise habits are more successful than those who take extreme measures to lose weight fast. The latter group regains 80% of the weight lost within 5 years. 

When you improve incrementally you build a log of successes. This boosts your confidence and motivation. When you are successful (even with small wins) you want to repeat the process. You learn information at a usable rate. What I mean by that is you learn small bits of information that you apply immediately. 

This is the best way to learn. It allows you to create your own feedback loop. That feedback loop is: Learn, Apply, Tweak, Apply, Tweak, Apply, etc. You become a master. This feedback loop also informs you of what you need to learn next (the next immediate step). You don’t have to wonder, “Now what?”

Time to celebrate! I’ll say it ad nauseum, friends, mini-celebrations are highly underrated. You must recognize your progress. The celebration must be commiserate with the effort. You know we like to keep our celebrations small, low-cost, and repeatable. 

The key to these mini-celebrations is that you mindfully connect the celebration to the effort you are celebrating. 

Identify a friend you can text or call several times a week, knowing you can rely on that person to be excited for you. Take a long walk out in nature. Go to a zen spot that you love. Pour yourself your favorite beverage. Relax with a hot bath. You know the type of celebrations we hype up over here at CONNECT.

Everything listed above follows our micro-goals format. This is our process to accomplishing any goal. This is how you move mountains.

Whatever you do, don’t give up.

Next week we will explore ways to find and leverage support systems to help you stay on track.

Do You Need Help Tapping Into Your Potential?

Are you struggling to meet your goals and wish you had support? Have you ever considered working with a coach? You may not know what a coach does.

One-on-One Coaching:

• You and I develop an individualized plan targeting your specific goals

• You receive individualized support from me

• Answers to your specific questions

• Guidance on your specific issues and blocks

• Accessibility to me outside coaching sessions for added support (individual texts and emails to check in)

• Your plan leads to learning how your personal growth is in your control

Are you ready to take action but are at a loss on what step to take next? 

I can teach you how to get started and accelerate your growth by using repeatable methods. Need the tools? I’ve got them. The goal is always to make you independent. I should be working myself out of a job. Once you take off, you may want to have a session from time to time, especially if you are scaling your goals. A good coach teaches you how to stand on your own two feet. Contact me today. Are you ready to CONNECT?