Accomplish More with the Micro-Progress Phenomenon
Archived article. Written for freelance translators in 2019; some details may be out of date.
Have you ever checked something off your to-do list and then felt inspired to continue tackling items on the list? This phenomenon is known as micro-progress. The feeling of making progress – no matter how small – can help encourage to you become even more productive.
Now imagine how productive you would be if your to-do list included lots of small tasks that you could easily check off. Rather than listing several large and challenging tasks on your to-do list, try breaking them down into smaller components that you can more easily complete. And use that feeling of accomplishment to help spur more productivity!
If you write something overwhelming-sounding like “Find new clients” on your to-do list, you might find yourself putting it off. It just sounds like a huge undertaking. So let’s break it down into smaller pieces.
Think about all the steps that go into that one large project. Maybe you want to do some networking both in person and online to accomplish this goal. Assign yourself all those bite-sized tasks that go into making your goal happen.
For instance, if you subdivide in-person networking into smaller components, you might find yourself with a list that looks like this:
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Design business cards.
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Order business cards.
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Research local trade associations for your specialty.
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Register to attend the association’s next event.
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Attend the event.
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After the event, send emails to your new contacts to follow up.
