I find it really easy to get bogged down in the nitty gritty details of things. I want to learn the perfect caloric deficit to lose weight effectively. I want to know the exact amount I should be putting in my retirement to retire early. I pay attention to the minutia so much that I completely lose sight of the broad strokes.

It is so much easier to achieve results if we look at things like an impressionist painting.

Want to lose weight – eat less, move more. It doesn’t matter specifically what the movement is, you don’t have to maximize the amount of HIIT and bodyweight fitness routine and pre-workout nutrition. You just need to do something more than you are doing and you need to eat fewer calories than you are currently eating. Broad Strokes.

Want to save for retirement – set up an autopay from your paycheck to a savings account. Or from your main account to your savings account. Just start something. It doesn’t have to be maximizing your 401k matching from your employer (although that’s definitely an easy way to start), it doesn’t have to be optimizing your tax liability reduction. Just put some money in an account. You can build later if you want to, but generally speaking if you just put some money away (and invest it so you’ll receive some compound interest. <a href="http://<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Simple-Path-to-Wealth-audiobook/dp/B0725RFDPY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22X777PYZZYI9&keywords=simple+plan+to+wealth&qid=1698879280&sprefix=simple+plan+to%252Caps%252C137&sr=8-1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=hardstuffhelp-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=f65cba9273ae4e79c05a88192800922f&camp=1789&creative=9325">Simple Path to Wealthgreat book for help on this topic)

Want to get your monthly budget together? Probably it’s not the lattes and the Netflix subscription that is causing the problem. More likely it’s the fancy car that costs almost as much as your rent payment.

Want to climb a mountain – go for daily walks. Then start climbing more stairs. Find others who have done it and talk to them about it. You don’t need to buy out REI or have the best backpack. You need decent shoes and a backpack to start. You’ll learn what else you need as you get more fit and connect with more mountain climbers.

Want to eat out less – you don’t have to make your own bread and churn your own butter and can every ounce of food you can. You could just start by making a weekly menu. Or cook one big meal a week and freeze extras. If you cook a double batch of things and put the second meal in the freezer, you wind up with options to use as a base for something. So instead of the daunting idea that you have to create dinner from scratch mid-week, you may only have to throw rice or pasta on and thaw a sauce you’ve already made.

The bottom line is, focus on the things that give the most bang for your buck. If you’re getting a latte every morning on your way to work, that’s maybe $40/week on the high end or $160/month. If you’re making a car payment when you could be driving a used car with no payment, that’s going to be at least double (and likely closer to quadruple) your latte budget.

Focus your energy on the changes that’ll make the most difference. It doesn’t matter what weight-loss supplement you take if you’re also eating fast food every week. It doesn’t matter what retirement account you’re using as long as you’re putting money away in a responsible manner.

Big picture. Broad strokes. That’s how you get big change.