one step at a time

When you think about your bigger vision for yourself...better health, better relationships, more money, career change, etc, do you get so overwhelmed  that you end up doing nothing? Time ticks by and you find yourself in the exact same spot year after year. There is so much that you should be doing, yet you do nothing.

And forget big goals, you might even do this in your daily life. You've got a list of things that need to be done but just don't get around to doing it. Some might call it procrastination, and some people are really, really good at it.

If this is you, you are not alone. You might look at the end goal and it just seems so big that it paralyzes you. I'm certainly familiar with this feeling.  I like to call it the "marathon effect".  I came up with this term because, as a friend was telling me about all the marathons she was running that season, I found myself feeling paralyzed with anxiety about all the miles that had to be run to complete, not just 1 marathon, but 5. I could not wrap my head around it, especially since I rarely run for exercise, and when I do it's literally 30 minutes and done, even if I can physically keep going.

So, I asked her, "how do you stand there on the start line knowing that you have to run 26.2 miles right then?  What is going through your mind?"  Her answer has stuck with me for years, "Before I can run 26 miles I have to run 10. Before I run 10 I have to run 5. Before that 2.  But before running even 1 single mile, I have to take a single step, then another step and so on."

That makes it seem so do-able, doesn't it? Breaking it down step by step.  I've literally gone back to that story many, many times when thinking about my own goals.  When I find myself paralyzed in in-action, the question I come back around to is this, "What is one step I can do today that will get me closer to my goal?"

Now, in addition to the size of the goal, another trap that may paralyze you is thinking that you have to have all the steps planned out perfectly before getting started.  Or, if you can't do each thing perfectly, then why even do it at all.  This thinking will keep you stuck forever because, really, when can you do everything perfectly? And how many times have you started something thinking it will turn out one way and it ends up being something completely different but just as great or better than you imagined it?












So whether you are wanting to be healthier, have a better relationship, etc. know that it is a series of lots of little steps that will eventually get you to your goal and ask yourself ,"What is one step that I can take today that will move me in the direction of my goal?" 

Now go do it!

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