Looking to Crush Goals?

I recently learned something fascinating about how our brains work—something that explains a lot about why starting and finishing things can feel so powerful. It’s called the Zeigarnik Effect, and it’s a psychological phenomenon where our minds literally hate leaving things unfinished. Once we start something, our brains become wired to want to complete it. This explains why you might feel restless when you leave a project half-done or why an incomplete task keeps popping into your mind until you deal with it. Our minds crave closure, and this craving can actually be used to our advantage when we’re trying to hit our goals.

Here’s the deal: if you want to reach a goal, you have to start. It sounds simple, but sometimes taking that first step feels like the hardest part. We overthink it, doubt ourselves, or wait until everything feels "perfect." But perfection isn't the goal—momentum is. Once you take even a small step forward, your brain gets involved. Thanks to the Zeigarnik Effect, your mind will keep nudging you toward finishing what you started. It almost becomes uncomfortable to leave it undone.

But starting isn’t enough on its own. Staying motivated to see a goal through to the finish line requires a little more strategy. That’s where Expectancy Theory comes in. This theory says that we stay motivated when we believe that the effort we put in will actually lead to a reward we care about. In other words, if we think the outcome is worth it and we believe our actions will get us there, we're much more likely to keep going.

So how do you combine these two ideas? The trick is to break those big, intimidating goals into smaller, more manageable pieces. Write them down and keep them somewhere you’ll see them often. Maybe it’s a checklist on your desk, sticky notes on your mirror, or a notes app on your phone that you check every day. When you can see what needs to be done and your progress as you move forward, you make the journey feel much less overwhelming.

Each small task you complete isn’t just another thing off your to-do list—it’s a tiny win. And those tiny wins matter more than you think. Every time you finish a small task, you give your brain a little hit of dopamine, the chemical associated with pleasure and reward. That little surge of dopamine motivates you to keep going. It’s like throwing a mini celebration in your brain every time you make progress. Over time, these small wins stack up and build massive momentum.

Before you know it, what once felt impossible starts to feel totally doable. One small action leads to another, and the energy builds. By using the natural wiring of your brain, you make reaching your goals feel like a series of achievable steps instead of an overwhelming mountain.

So remember: start small, dream big, and stay consistent. Your brain is actually designed to help you succeed—you have to give it a little nudge in the right direction. Get started today, and watch how those goals that once felt out of reach begin to move closer and closer to reality.