Step to Success

The Chinese proverb says it best, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” One step, and then another, and then another after that, it’s a series of small steps. The trouble is that we focus on the finish line before we even start the journey.

We get overwhelmed.”It’s a thousand miles! That’s over two million steps.”
We over think it. “What kind of shoes do I need and how many pairs will I go through? What about rain?”
We make it big, impossibly big. “1,000 miles is the distance from New York City to Daytona Beach, Florida!”

We need to take our thinking in the opposite direction. Think small. Small is doable. Small is realistic. Small actions can yield big results.

Whether it is paying off credit card debt, getting a degree, lowering cholesterol, or finding a soul mate, you have to start somewhere. You have to take the first step, and then the next step and then the step after that.

Little steps are deceptive because they are small and by themselves, they don’t seem like much of anything. One credit card payment seems like a minuscule drop in a very big bucket, but those drops can add up quickly. A pound of weight loss might not seem like much, but one pound will lead to another and another and soon, you’ll see a big difference.

Take small steps. Do not dismiss them. Make the goal smaller, too. In the journey of a thousand miles, set 10 mile, 50 mile and 100 mile milestones. Create small successes along the way and work towards those.

Take a step. Do it today. Take another tomorrow. And another, the day after that. You get the point. : )