In chapter 6 of Switch, Chip and Dan Heath talk about how setting smaller, easier to achieve goals leads to better outcomes. They illustrate this with Marla Cilley’s “5-minute room rescue” and a reference to the Endowed Progress Effect, among others.

Smaller goals reduce dread and make it easier to get started, as the amount of work needing to be done becomes less overwhelming.

Smaller goals are also more quickly and easily achieved. With each goal that is achieved, confidence increases. This leads to a continuous momentum that helps keep people going.