Most People Don't Need Bigger Goals , They Need Smaller Ones

How breaking goals into OPA bites actually gets results

Let me guess. You’ve set some big, hairy goal for 2026.

Maybe it’s “I want to add 20 real estate agents who send me one deal this year.”

Or “I’m going to lose 40 pounds.”

Or “I’ll double my business.”

Here’s the thing , and I’m not trying to rain on your parade , but most people fail at these big goals because they’re thinking about them all wrong.

You don’t need a bigger goal. You need smaller ones.

The Elephant in the Room

You’ve probably heard this before: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

But here’s what most people miss. They know the saying, they nod their heads, and then they go right back to staring at the whole elephant.

Going from zero agents to 20 agents feels overwhelming because it IS overwhelming. There’s a lot of stuff that has to happen between here and there. And when you’re stuck trying to figure out how to jump from 0 to 20, you end up paralyzed.

That’s where most people get stuck. They’re thinking about the final destination instead of the next step.

Break It Down (No, Really Break It Down)

Let’s take that goal of adding 20 agents in 2026. Sounds massive, right?

But what if I told you that’s only 5 agents per quarter? Or about 1.5 agents per month?

Suddenly, it doesn’t sound so crazy.

When you break it down like this, you’re not trying to solve the puzzle of “How do I get 20 agents?” You’re solving “How do I get my next agent?”

And that’s a completely different problem with completely different solutions.

Meet OPA: Your New Best Friend

Here’s a framework that’ll change how you think about goals. It’s called OPA:

• Outcome: What you want
• Purpose: Why you want it
• Action steps: How you’ll get it

Most people skip straight to action steps without getting clear on the outcome and purpose. That’s like trying to drive somewhere without knowing where you’re going or why.

Let’s build an OPA statement for our agent example:

Outcome: Find 1-2 agents this month who have the potential to send me a deal in 2026.

Purpose: Because each good agent relationship could generate $5,000-$15,000 in commission this year, and I want to build a predictable pipeline.

Action steps:

• Use Redder to find 5 agents in my target area
• Go through my phone for past agent contacts I haven’t talked to in 6 months
• Ask my current top 3 agents for one referral each

See how different that feels? You’re not trying to boil the ocean. You’re just trying to heat up a cup of water.

[WATCH: See the full video breakdown here]

Different Problems Need Different Solutions

Here’s something crucial that most people miss: The plan to go from 0 to 1 agent is totally different from the plan to go from 10 to 20.

If you’re at zero, you might need to:

• Figure out your value proposition
• Create your first agent presentation
• Learn the basics of agent relationship building

But if you’re at 10 agents, your challenges are different:

• How do you scale without burning out?
• Which agents are worth more attention?
• How do you systematize your follow-up?

That’s why you need to create new OPA statements as you progress. Don’t use the same playbook for different games.

The Research Backs This Up

A study of over 1.5 million goals found that people who set at least four daily goals per week were 34% more likely to hit their big targets.

Think about that. The people crushing their big goals weren’t the ones with the biggest dreams. They were the ones breaking those dreams into daily actions.

And here’s the kicker: When people achieved at least half their daily goals, they felt better about their work. When they failed to meet half their goals, their mood scores dropped 26%.

Your brain needs wins. Small, frequent wins create momentum. Big, distant goals create anxiety.

Your Action Steps Toolbox

So what do these action steps actually look like? Here are some real options:

For finding new agents:

• Use tools like Redder, MMI, or Model Match to identify active agents
• Review your phone contacts for agents you’ve worked with before
• Ask existing agent partners for referrals
• Attend local real estate events or meetups
• Check recent home sales in your area and contact the listing agents

For nurturing existing relationships:

• Send market updates to your agent database
• Invite agents to grab coffee or lunch
• Share success stories from other agent partnerships
• Create a simple monthly newsletter with mortgage tips

For converting prospects:

• Follow up within 24 hours of initial contact
• Provide immediate value (market insights, rate updates)
• Ask about their current pain points with lenders
• Schedule a specific next step, not “let’s keep in touch”

Don’t Set Yourself Up to Fail

Here’s where most people go wrong. They know they should break things down, but they still make their short-term targets too big.

They’ll say “I’ll get 5 agents this month” when they’ve never gotten one agent in a month before.

That’s not being ambitious. That’s being stupid.

Start where you are. If you’re at zero, focus on getting one. If you’ve never lost weight, focus on losing 2 pounds, not 20.

The goal is to build confidence and momentum, not to prove how tough you are.

Make It Ridiculously Specific

Your daily actions should be so clear that a 12-year-old could follow them.

Instead of “I’ll reach out to agents today,” try:

• “I’ll send connection requests to 3 agents on LinkedIn”
• “I’ll call 2 agents from my past client list”
• “I’ll research 5 agents using Redder and add them to my CRM”

If you can break it down to “If I do A, B, and C today, I will get results D, E, and F,” you’ve got a fighting chance.

The 30-Day Challenge

Here’s what I want you to do. Pick one big goal you’ve been avoiding because it feels too overwhelming.

Break it down using OPA:

1. What’s the smallest possible outcome you could achieve in the next 30 days?
2. Why does that matter to you personally?
3. What are 3 specific actions you could take this week?

Don’t worry about the big picture right now. Just focus on the next 30 days.

Most people spend more time planning their vacation than planning their success. Don’t be most people.

The Bottom Line

You probably don’t need to dream bigger. You need to act smaller.

The research is clear. The psychology is sound. And the results speak for themselves.

People who break big goals into small, daily actions are 34% more likely to succeed. They feel better about their work. They build momentum instead of anxiety.

But here’s the thing : knowing this doesn’t matter if you don’t do anything about it.

So what’s it going to be? Are you going to keep staring at the elephant, or are you going to take the first bite?

Ready to build your OPA plan and actually hit your goals this year? Let’s make it happen.