Some

Years ago, while training at Microsoft's corporate gym, I worked with a programmer who wrote code for Windows. He commented that his computer only worked a couple of weeks before each update shipped. Yes, each problem was incrementally fixed, but there were always things that only worked once the operating system was ready to go. To me, it was funny imagining a programmer spending every day working on a computer that didn't function. The product was undoubtedly the outcome, but the PROCESS of creating that product was his job.

I sometimes think about that when I expect fast results after a straightforward tweak or when I overwhelm myself with everything to focus on. Those moments usually reveal that I've been on a slow slide back to all-or-nothing thinking. I've stopped seeing the process and started thinking about that far-off result again. Alas, I stopped seeing ‘some.’ After all, I set a goal for a reason, so why can't I keep staring longingly at it?

The answer is that fixating on the end goal seldom works to move you forward, and I often need to remind myself of that. This episode of 'Choiceology' hosted by Katie Milkman, author of 'How to Change', is a great reminder of how incremental change works. The first part of the episode may not feel relatable when she talks to Olympic Gold Medalist and Hall of Famer Shannon Miller, but hang in there.

As a bonus, I'm adding the most recent episode about friction (this is where Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely adds to the discussion) because it's a helpful reminder of how to remove it and how to use it to your advantage when changing behaviors. I included a picture of the exercise equipment above with that in mind. These machines are in parks all over Europe, so everyone can access convenient exercise equipment. I even used a park elliptical until I decided to buy my own.