In praise of modest goals

I had several achievements last month. I finally passed the $100 threshold to get paid from Google AdSense. I made over a dollar for the first time in the Medium Partner Program. I have over 300 followers on TikTok and 3,500 on Twitter. As big of a deal as these are to me, others would say, “Ooooh, Matthew. You earned enough on Medium to afford a large Diet Coke at McDonald’s! And $100 in ad revenue? You’re a regular media mogul, aren’t you? Good thing it makes up for your lack of book sales, doesn’t it? What are your Amazon rankings now? Oh, so sad. Ha, ha, ha.”

Before anyone goes Regina George on someone’s small achievements, remember that modest goals are the first steps towards achieving greater ones.

I’ve accomplished major goals in my life, including Eagle Scout, high school valedictorian, a university degree, and recently, dropping 82 pounds (36.3 kilograms) in weight. I didn’t set out to get any of those things at first. Each major goal was achieved by accomplishing smaller goals. I earned one merit badge at a time, passed one test at a time, and ate right one meal at a time. Each small goal added up to bigger goals until my ultimate goal was in sight. The closer I got, the harder I pushed. When I realized I could earn my Eagle Scout, I became more focused on finishing my requirements.