The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

"Don't be embarrassed. You master the art of goal-setting —
and goal getting — by starting off small."
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step?" I
asked intuitively.
"Precisely. And getting good at accomplishing little feats
prepares you for realizing the big ones. So, to answer your question
squarely, there is nothing wrong with mapping out a full range of
smaller goals in the process of planning your bigger ones."
Julian told me that the Sages of Sivana had created a five-step
method to reach their objectives and fulfill the purposes of their
lives. It was simple, practical and it worked. The first step was to
form a clear mental image of the outcome. If this was to lose
weight, Julian told me that every morning just after I woke up, I
was to envision myself as a lean, fit person, full of vitality and
boundless energy. The clearer this mental picture, the more
effective the process would be. He said that the mind was the
ultimate treasure house of power and this simple act of "picturing"
my goal would open the gateway to the actualization of this desire.
Step two was to get some positive pressure on myself
"The main reason people do not follow through on any
resolutions they make is that it is too easy to slip back into their
old ways. Pressure is not always a bad thing. Pressure can inspire
you to achieve great ends. People generally achieve magnificent
things when their backs are up against the wall and they are
forced to tap into the wellspring of human potential that lies
within them."
"How can I create this 'positive pressure' on myself?" I asked,
now thinking about the possibilities of applying this method to
everything from getting up earlier to being a more patient and
loving father.