The Power of Baby Steps
James (not his real name) wants to get into a course that requires over 500 points. Thinking about the points required for the course and the effort needed overwhelms him. James feels it’s like he’s trying to scale an insurmountable mountain.
Baby steps are a powerful way to achieve what seem like unachievable goals. They involve breaking down the goal into the first step. They involve asking the following questions:
- What is the first thing I could do to get going?
- How can I break my goal down into a series of manageable tasks?
- How can I remove distractions and increase my focus?
- Who could support me along the way?
- What positive thoughts could propel me into action?
- Can I link into the feelings of achievement associated with the end game/goal?
- What’s getting in the way of me taking steps towards my goal? What can I say or do to overcome this?
- How can I make this my No. 1 priority in life?
- What can I say ‘No’ to, in order to say ‘Yes’ to these steps?
- What resources do I need to help me achieve this outcome?
- Can I break my goal into repeated tasks that take 30 minutes or less?
Baby steps can create powerful results. The accumulative effect over time is that there is a spirit of continuous improvement, edging you closer to your desired state, dream career, job, and ideal weight…
Learn to celebrate baby steps even if they seem insignificant. They are all triumphs over resistance, procrastination, fear of failure and a lack of confidence. Baby steps can bust through the thoughts such as:
“I’ll do it tomorrow”
“It’s not the right time”
“I will start studying after Halloween/Christmas/Easter”
Baby steps put you in the driving seat of your own life in a reliable way. You many not move towards your goal with the speed of a Porsche, but baby steps will lead you to victory over the finish line. This quote displays the effectiveness of the baby step:
A question to ask yourself each morning that really lights fires, gongs bells and summons resources is ‘What little, mortal, baby steps can I take today that will demonstrate expectance, prepare for my dream’s manifestation and above all, place me within reach of life’s magic?’ Please ask this question and then answer it with those little baby steps, even when they’re sometimes the same steps you took yesterday. I promise you, you will go down in history as a giant among your kind. It’s never too late
Mike Dooley,
Notes from The Universe.
This is so true. Every baby step we take in the direction of our goal, whatever that may be, is something to take pride in. We can then turn that pride into self-encouragement that fuels us a bit further, and a bit further still, down the road, until we reach that goal.
Jody, as ever so well put. Yes pride in our work can lead to self encouragment. You are a testify this in your work and life!
Dearbhla,
Great advice for life but also for hill-walking. The only step you need to make is the next one and you will finally arrive at your destination.
Yes, Philip I agree this step by step approach works for hill walking and all areas of life!
Thanks Christina…yes life is all about taking baby steps in succession!
Great advice. I love how you broke down the baby steps into questions you could actually talk to your teen about. (I can see this working for adults, too!) What do you recommend to parents whose kids are unsure about which career they’d like to pursue?