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One Small Step at a Time
Last week, we talked about getting focused on your vision. We also discussed
that up to 80% of the reasons you aren't moving forward on your vision are due
to constraints that are generated internally, versus external barriers.
Getting clear on what is holding you back is the first step to moving forward!
So, if you have given some thought to what is holding you back, and found that
the reasons are things that don't NEED to hold you back (they aren't so scary
after all!), you can move boldly forward - right? It STILL isn't so easy
for some of us. (Isn't good to know you're not the only one that is thinking
this personal power stuff is kind of hard to get going on?)
Today, I want to discuss a few steps to get you started down the path to your
vision. The good news is, they are incredibly simple steps! And powerful!
Many of us have identified some big goals in our lives. We know what we want,
and it's a huge leap forward! However, it looks so foreboding that we don't
seem to find the courage to take the first step. So, for example, if your
dream or vision is to get a college degree, you might not have started because
the 4 years or more that it will take to achieve the vision is so HUGE!
How do you begin? One small step at a time. Break your dream
down into small steps, as small as possible. For instance, calling
to get a catalog, reading the catalog, calling the enrollment office to get information
on enrollment procedures, talking to a guidance counselor about the requirements
for the type of degree you are seeking, and so on.
We all have a strong need for completion, or what is often referred to as the
"compulsion for closure". When we are able to check things
off a list, we feel as though we are being productive, happier and more powerful!
We already do this with errands, grocery lists, weekend to-do lists, and the like…why
not make a list of the tasks needed to reach our dream?
So, let's say you have a list in hand, and the steps still feel daunting.
Then what? Another tool to use here is to "punch a hole in it".
You may not be able to read the entire catalog in the time you have available,
or you may get too overwhelmed reading it in one sitting, so you "punch a hole
in the task" by reading for at least 10 minutes every day. If the catalog
takes an hour to read, you'll have it read by the end of the week…and 10 minutes
is certainly doable! Another example is a task that has been hanging over
your head at work or at home. For me, that's filing, or cleaning my office.
I dread those tasks, and so they don't often get done. When I set just 10
minutes aside to work on those tasks, and give myself permission to stop at the
end of that time, I find I have a lot more energy, and end up feeling much better
about the progress I've made.
So, this week, resolve to make that task list of things to do to reach your vision.
Break it down into small steps, give yourself credit when you do one by checking
that task off and celebrating a bit. When the task is still too big to do
in one sitting, then punch a hole in it by doing a bit every day…. Keep
moving forward!
Feeling great about making progress, or completing a task, is the start of feeling
powerful about yourself!
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