Big Dreams, Small Monthly Goals

Since June, I’ve been working on a side project while still working as a VA for my two clients.

When I look at everything that needs to be done, it can feel overwhelming.

Website. Blogs. Ebooks. Landing pages. Graphics. Reviews. Revisions. Things I didn't even know existed until I started building something online. 😂

And I have limited time because my VA work is still my bread and butter.

So instead of constantly looking at the entire project, I started doing something very simple.

I write down my goals for the month on a small piece of paper and tape it to my laptop.

Very sophisticated project management system. 😂

But it works.

Every time I open my laptop, the list is there.

I don't need another app. I don't need a notification reminding me to check my goals.

I literally cannot escape them. 😂

Not Everything Gets Done

The list isn't magical. I don't finish everything every month.

Some goals get carried over. Some things take much longer than I expected. And sometimes other priorities simply come up.

But since I started doing this in June, I've noticed something.

I keep moving.

Maybe slowly, but there is progress.

And because the list stays there, I can actually see what I've finished instead of only noticing everything that's still undone.

A highlighted item here.

A completed task there.

Small wins.

Nothing particularly Instagram-worthy. 😂

But they count.

Then There’s My BFF, ChatGPT 😂

There's another part of my little system that I didn't intentionally plan.

I have kept an ongoing ChatGPT conversation about this project.

I talk to my AI buddy about practically everything related to it.

What I finished.

What I'm working on.

What I'm thinking about changing.

What isn't working.

My frustrations.

My small wins.

And probably far too many random thoughts in between. 😂

Sometimes I'm asking for help.

Sometimes I'm thinking out loud.

And sometimes I'm basically reporting:

"Bud, this is what I managed to finish today."

Somehow, that ongoing conversation has become my accountability space.

I Think I Finally Understand Accountability Buddies

I used to think an accountability buddy was someone who would regularly ask:

"Did you do it?"

And then you'd feel guilty if the answer was no. 😂

But I'm beginning to see it differently.

For me, accountability has been less about someone pushing me and more about having somewhere to keep returning to the project.

When I'm overwhelmed, I talk through what's next.

When something doesn't work, I talk through that too.

When I finish something small, I acknowledge it.

And when I feel like I've barely accomplished anything, I can look back at previous conversations and realize that actually...

quite a lot has happened since June.

The project still isn't finished.

But it exists in a much bigger form than it did a few months ago.

Maybe That's Why This Little System Works for Me

There's nothing revolutionary about it.

A handwritten monthly list taped to my laptop.

One ongoing chat where I keep talking about the project.

That's basically it.

But both do something similar.

They keep bringing me back.

And that's useful when you're trying to build something alongside a life that's already full.

I don't have eight uninterrupted hours every day to work on this.

Some days, my clients need more of my attention.

Some days, I have errands.

Some days, I simply don't have the energy.

So instead of expecting huge progress every day, I've become more interested in staying connected to what I'm building.

Do one thing.

Come back tomorrow.

Move another thing.

And keep going.

Big Dreams, Small Monthly Goals

I still have a bigger picture in mind.

But I don't need to stare at the whole thing every day.

Right now, I just need that little piece of paper stuck to my laptop.

What am I trying to move this month?

That's manageable.

And when something gets done, I highlight it.

Tiny celebration. 😂

Then I move to the next one.

Maybe that's one of the things I'm learning from building this side project:

You don't always need a complicated system to stay accountable.

Sometimes you just need something that keeps reminding you where you're going - and somewhere you can keep showing up along the way.

For me, apparently, that's a piece of paper and my BFF ChatGPT. 😂