Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tiptoe if you must, but take a step — Naeem Callaway.
Inertia and hesitation are what stops us from making progress.
The constant and overwhelming feeling of dread stops us from starting. We believe we do not have what it takes to change or to adopt good behaviors.
The truth is, Rome was not built in one day and so are your habits.
Habit change starts in our mind. Learn to be comfortable with small steps. With small steps, you can build momentum and scale up.
Here are 6 reasons why building momentum with small goals is a better strategy than getting stuck in hesitation mode.
Small means action. Hesitation is inaction
No good is ever done in this world by hesitation.
An action is an action no matter how small. By doing one pushup daily, the action eventually compounds. The power of 1% improvement comes from such small steps.
You cannot be better in public speaking if you do nothing, but by learning proper posture first before learning the eye contact skills, you can master the skill of public speaking.
Inaction breeds doubt, hesitation, and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage.
Positive reinforcement
Small wins add up and energize you.
Do you want to start a writing habit? Scale back your writing to one paragraph daily. That can look like writing a topic and getting an image from Unsplash.
Daily wins encourage you to continue. It's a vote cast toward the person you want to be. The more you vote, the more wins you build.
Overcoming fear
Fear is the biggest enemy of progress.
Ever heard of anyone making progress by doing nothing? Analysis paralysis makes us overthink. Instead of changing into our walking shoes and just start walking, we ruminate on when it will take us to get that killer body.
Instead of cutting back on one slice of bread, we go over one weight loss recipe after another, and end up feeling worse than we began.
If you feel fear, do it small before doing it big.
Small means anytime
The secret power of starting with small steps is that you can access that power now.
Starting small is within reach right now as you are reading this article.
- You can do that one mindful breath now.
- You can say that one gratitude prayer now.
To go small is to cast away delays.
You do not have to wait for the perfect moment. You do not have to wait until you complete that energy-sapping project. You do not have to wait until the evening.
Mindfulness and action equal progress
Starting small taps into the magical and always accessible power of the present moment.
Mindfulness is the awareness that comes when we are fully engaged in our present moment.
The compounding effect
Consistent incremental steps lead to massive outcomes.
The stone cutter quote from Jacob Riis beautifully captures the power of consistency
Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
Small helps you build skills
Experience is the best teacher.
Each step is an opportunity to learn and adapt your skills. Building skills means confidence and the elimination of fear.
By making your steps small, you are not overwhelmed, and you get the opportunity to consistently practice and refine your abilities.
With your ability enhanced, you will enable change to happen smoothly.