🍭 Strategy of the Week:

Breaking Big Goals Down (So You Don’t Break Down Instead)

Overwhelm doesn’t always show up as panic.
Sometimes it’s silence.

The quiet procrastination that looks like scrolling, rewriting your to-do list, or jumping between 5 browser tabs pretending you're working.

It’s staring at a big goal and thinking: “Where do I even begin?”

And so…you don’t.

Most big goals don’t scare us because they’re impossible. They scare us because we’ve made them into one giant, blurry mountain in our mind.

(A quick Kat side tangent…as I was re-reading the newsletter to do final edits, I read the above as “one giant Blueberry muffin”. I think it’s time for snacks 😂).

In our mind it’s just “launch the course” or “build the funnel” or “create the product.”

No wonder it feels heavy.
You’re trying to carry a mountain instead of taking one step at a time.

So what do we do with overwhelm?
We break it down.
We make it smaller.
We give our brain something clear to grab onto so it can stop spinning.

You know the feeling. That thing you’ve had on your list for three weeks?
It grew into a monster because you didn’t touch it. Then when you finally did it, it took 20 minutes and wasn’t even that hard.

That’s the power of breaking things down.

Here’s how I like to do it:

Step 1: Name the BIG goal.

Something like: Launch a 5-module course by October.
Give it shape and a deadline.

Step 2: Break it into milestones.

Think of these as the big containers that hold your tasks.

Example:

→ Validate your course idea
→ Outline the content
→ Write your sales page
→ Build your minimum viable funnel
→ Pre-sell the course
→ Create the course
→ Delivery the first version of the course
→ etc.

I like to remind myself that these items are milestones.
I can’t just “create a course”…that’s not a task, that’s a milestone.
A task would look like this: Write the copy for lesson 1.

Step 3: Pick one milestone and break that down into actual tasks.

Let’s say you’re working on “Validate your course idea.”
What would need to happen to complete that?

→ Create a survey
→ Post a poll on Instagram
→ Schedule chats with past ideal clients
→ Ask your email list to respond to some questions

Already, it’s not so overwhelming anymore.
You’ve turned fog into something visible and doable.

Step 4: Go another level deeper
(but only on the task from above that you’re actively working on, not all of them at once)

From your list under step 3, break one task down into it’s own small list of action steps.

Let’s say it’s “schedule chats with past clients”.
What would need to happen to complete that?

→ Make a list of past clients you want to reach out to
→ Create a message to send to clients to schedule the chat
→ Set up the scheduling option through Calendly
→ Create a draft of the questions you want answered during the chat

You’re trying to take things that can feel big and break them down into really easy steps.

KM Tip: Don’t try and break every milestone down into tasks and then it’s smaller action steps. You’ll get overwhelmed because then you’re just looking at a big list.

This method allows you to break things down into small steps that will actually get you moving forward. But focus on only doing step 4 with one milestone at a time. Not every milestone in the course creation process.

Step 5: Schedule it.

Get it out of your head and into your calendar or project tool (I like Notion for this).

Assign basic deadlines and make it feel real.

Now you won’t have “create an online course” on you to-do list anymore.

You’ll have real tasks that are smaller and less overwhelming to get started with, like “Make a list of past clients to reach out to for validating the course idea” and “create a draft of the questions you want answered during the chat”.

Those seem much easier to do.

🎯 This Week’s Action: Start Small, Move Forward

Let’s make your big goal feel lighter this week.

Here’s your step-by-step:

1. Name your big goal

What’s been sitting in the back of your mind for weeks (or months)?
Be clear and specific.

→ Launch a group program in September
→ Create a new lead magnet funnel before end of month
→ Build out my digital product shop by Q4

2. Break it into 3–5 milestones

Think of these as the big pieces of the puzzle.
What has to happen for this to become real?

→ Make a short list of the main milestones to achieve the big goal.

3. Choose ONE milestone to focus on this week

Just one. Don’t try to do all the things.
→ List the tasks that need to happen to make this milestone a reality.

4. Break those tasks into smaller action steps

You’re taking the task and breaking it into the real world action steps you must take to make it happen.

5. Schedule those action steps

Put the action steps in your calendar. Choose the day you’ll get those things done. This step turns your plan into progress.

🦄 In Your Corner:

Your vision is worth it.

The work you’re putting in today is building the future you’ve always imagined.

Trust the process.
You’re closer than you think.
Some days you will question everything, but remember to come back to your vision, and your strategy.

The plateau that happens while you build can be hard to push through. Keep going! Your dreams are worth it.

👀 ICYMI:

• So Many Creators Are Moving to Substack: What’s Going On? (Growth in Reverse)

• Pinterest algorithm changes to know about - updated 2025. (KM Blog)
  

• Create a lead magnet that attracts the right people. (Our Blog Post)
  

• Build as you grow. My reminder for you. (My LinkedIn Post)

🫡 KM Tip of the Week:

If email marketing feels like a giant, complicated beast, you’re not alone.
Most service-based business owners know how to sell their services, but when it comes to setting up email funnels for digital products, it suddenly feels like a lot.

The good news is that you don’t need to build the full funnel on day one.

Start with the basics.

Here are the 3 pieces I’d suggest you focus on first:

1. A simple signup page
   Give people one clear reason to join your list (a freebie, a checklist, a mini guide).

2. A thank-you page
   Let them know what to expect. Bonus points if it leads to a next step or an intro offer.

3. A basic welcome email
   Deliver the freebie, introduce yourself, and share one way to go deeper with you.

That’s it. That’s your starting point.
Once that’s up, you can expand and add a full welcome sequence, a nurture series, and eventually sales emails.

If you have a big vision for your email funnel, break it down into stages.
Start with what’s essential, then build layer by layer.

Small steps lead to big systems.

🫠 Yes…it’s a real job.

People think being a solopreneur is glamorous.
Reality: Sweats, coffee, and explaining to family that yes, I am actually working.

You don’t need to tackle everything at once to be making progress.

You just need to take one clear step forward.

The truth is, most big wins are just a bunch of small moves stacked on top of each other. And when you give yourself permission to move at a pace that works for you, it becomes easier to actually enjoy the process.

So here’s your gentle nudge from me this week:
Pick one milestone.
Do one task.
And then celebrate that win. With a happy dance, a donut, or getting into your fav pjs!

You’ve got this.

- Kat 💛