Weight loss is often described as “simple, but not easy.” The rules are straightforward, even if the execution is hard. But what if we could make all of our ambitious goals that simple? What if we used the framework of weight loss as a model for achieving anything?

The power of weight loss as a goal isn’t the goal itself, but the clarity of its system. At its core is a precise feedback mechanism that tells us if we’re heading in the right direction. This system can be broken down into two components that can be applied to any objective.

The Anatomy of a Proper Goal

Too often, I am guilty of calling things “goals” when they are merely vague wishes. A proper goal, one that you can actually achieve, must have two things:

1. An Objectively Measurable Target: You need a number. With weight loss, it’s going from one number on the scale to another. For another goal, it could be gaining a specific number of subscribers, saving a certain amount of money, or shipping a defined number of features. It has to be quantifiable.
2. A Consistent Feedback Loop: You need a way to check your progress. The scale provides daily or weekly feedback on your weight. For other goals, this might include your analytics dashboard, bank statement, or project’s burndown chart. Without feedback, you’re flying blind.

The Failure Cycle: The Complexity Trap

Now that we have a goal, what’s next? If the goal is weight loss, we inherently understand the action: exercise. But how does that translate to something else?

This is where things usually go wrong. You wake up one morning, motivated to accomplish your goal. You start reading blogs, watching videos, and listening to others’ experiences with a dozen different strategies. For a couple of days, maybe you’re religious about doing it all. And then… You crash. It’s too much, too fast.

This is the complexity trap, and it’s the enemy of consistency.

Find Your “Daily Run”

The key to breaking this cycle is to identify the simplest, most foundational action that guarantees progress over time. What is the equivalent of a daily run for your personal goal?

Let’s use the weight loss analogy: If you change nothing else in your life, but you run for 30 minutes every single day, it is almost a guarantee you will see positive results in the long run. The “daily run” is your Minimum Viable Effort (MVE)—the one non-negotiable action that serves as the foundation for everything else.

Here’s how this framework can be applied to another goal:

Consistency isn’t born from grand, complex plans. It’s forged in the quiet execution of a simple, daily promise to yourself. Before you design an elaborate workout and diet plan, first prove you can show up for the run. Find your “daily run,” and do it every single day. The rest will follow.