Wherever you and I are today, there is a next step we can take.
We may be at a crossroads, facing a choice, or on a long uphill slog with no rest in sight. We may be so lost and confused we’re no longer sure where we want to go. No matter where we are, no matter how old, weak, hopeless, screwed-up, confused, or terrified we feel, we can make one small decision or take one small action.
That’s the good news: We can make progress in any area of life one little step at a time.
Some things that might be keeping us from taking the next step
- Tough decisions. We know we need to move, but we’re not sure which way we ought to go.
- Confusion. We’re so bogged down with life we don’t even know where we want to go.
- Weariness. We’re so tired. We don’t feel like making the effort.
- Hopelessness. Sometimes it all seems so futile. What good another step make?
- Fear. We know we need to take a step, but it feels like taking it means plunging off a cliff.
- Intimidation. It feels like we’re six-year-old facing stepping stones created for giants. We’d love to get there, but it sure doesn’t look possible.
- Overwhelm. We’d like to make improvements in a dozen different areas of our lives, but we’re not Superwoman. We can’t do it all at once.
Learn to think in baby steps
All too often, when I think about what my next step should be, I mistakenly aim at something several paces away. I compare where I am now to the place I want to arrive at, and I see how impossible it is. I have a list of excuses (some perfectly valid) for why I cannot take that step.
I am learning to recognize this problem as one of scope. I can’t yet take that huge step I wish I could take, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take a baby step in the right direction. I can’t become an SEO expert overnight, but I can make one tweak to my website, fix one mistake, research one key word. Those are doable steps.
Momentum is better than certainty
Ah, but no sooner do I decide to take a baby step when my doubts whisper, “How do you know that step is the right one? Are you sure that is the best way to reach your goal?”
Of course I don’t know. If I knew, I’d already be an expert!
We wish we could travel on a straight line from where we are now to our goal. Sadly, life isn’t like that. I am learning that the journey is a series of zigzags. We head somewhere, realize we’re veering off course, reevaluate what is working, adjust our path and keep going. If I waited until I was certain I was heading in the right direction, I’d never go anywhere. (Or at least, not anywhere worth going.)
So I’ve gotten better at starting wherever I am and taking baby steps because I believe that taking one small step after another will lead me to a more satisfying and meaningful life. Even if I don’t see how that next small step will make any difference.
Where are you today?
Are you feeling stuck? Weary? Confused? Terrified because you’re facing a big decision?
Are you willing to start wherever you are, and take one small step in some worthwhile direction?
Are you willing to face the scariest, turmoil-in-the-gut area of your life and take one teeny tiny baby step?
