Most people never go after their big goals and dreams because they feel that they’re too far out of their reach. Their dream seems larger than life…a looming mountain whose heights they simply will not be able to scale.
The fact is, Rome wasn’t built in one day and our dreams and goals won’t be either. The good news is that even the loftiest dreams or goals are conquered step by step, moment by moment, choice after choice, one action after another...one day at a time.
Although it’s crucial for us to keep an eye on our distant destination, we must also pay attention to the ground beneath our feet, so to speak. We need to start moving towards our destination, one step at a time.
For example, if you want to loose 50 pounds and get fit, you may be intimidated by the long slog it will take to get to there. You may think you need to dive in with both feet, become fanatic about eating health, exercise 4 hours every day and refrain from ever having another slice of pizza for the rest of your life.
Some people thrive on that sort of intense challenge and commitment but most of us wouldn’t be able to sustain it, at least not for very long.
What does work remarkably well for most of us is making small shifts in our habits and tiny changes in our routines. We start with one and then add others over time. This allows us to make significant progress without turning our lives upside down.
So to continue the example of losing weight, we start taking the stairs instead of the elevator. We park our car farther out in the parking lot to get a little more exercise from walking. We skip the soda at lunch and choose water instead. We get into the routine of taking a vitamin supplement every morning. And before we know it, we start feeling better and seeing our weight creeping down.
The idea is to take consistent, tiny steps in the direction you want to go rather than allowing the magnitude of your desired destination to paralyze you with fear, resistance and inaction.
This process works because of its simplicity. Little tweaks and tiny changes don’t feel threatening to your status quo, which allows you to sneaky past your own resistance.
Get the ball rolling by asking yourself this simple question each day: What tiny step can I take TODAY to move a little bit closer to my desired goal/dream?
I suggest you write that question down on an index card or sticky note and posting it somewhere where you will see it, read it and think about it for a moment at least once a day.
I also recommend you read One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way
So, what amazing goal or dream have you been putting off for way too long? What tiny step will you take today to start moving yourself towards it?
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