This meme came up in my FB feed the other day and I was gobsmacked at the accuracy. And how this visualization made me realize how critical small steps are. We say it. ALL THE TIME. Instructor Sara has taught me “step 1: show up” is a very useful mantra. But I never thought of it as a ladder and this visual really hit home.
As the new year approaches I’m seeing so many “new years resolution” promises and accountability requests. And 99% of the time that I see them, I know they are going to fail because they are reaching like the person on the right ladder. Deciding to do a whole life change on a date is simply unlikely. Habit changes take time. Developing new behavior takes time. And if you bit of a little chunk at a time, just like when climbing the pole, it is easier.
As you think about what your goals are for 2021, remember the quote from Darrell Hammond, “I’ve become fascinated by the idea that it’s really achievable to make two or three small improvements in a week and by the end of the year, it’s 150 improvements.” What small little things can you do. Instead of thinking of some lofty goal, be the person on the left ladder and just take a tiny step every day. With those tiny steps you’ll climb a lot father.
What is a small step? Something you can accomplish TODAY. Like “eat spinach”. Not “eat more fruits and vegetables daily and drop 30 pounds this month”. We hear so often about SMART goal setting and the importance of long term planning; yes, it has a place in your brain, but the more you focus on the small step you can fully complete today the more reachable the ladder rung will be. What is a small step you would like to accomplish today?