Small steps. That’s what gets us through the day. Small action steps that create momentum in our lives. Some call it 1% gains, but I call it a small step. And if you add up all of those small steps, they count. And they count in a big way.
Towards big priorities or goals. These are the big goals that we are reaching for, you know the ones that kinda scare you a little, but also occupy the time in the day where you day-dream. The big goals are the ones that involve real and meaningful transformation. The ambitious outcomes that inspire you to get up in the morning.
For me, the big priority (or big goal) in my life is to build my coaching practice. Client by client, rep by rep. All leading to the same big goal.
It wasn’t always this clear to me. Sometimes, I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. In the beginning, I knew I wanted to be a coach, but it seemed so far away that I didn’t even know where to start. Understanding this concept of big priorities (or goals) and small steps has made my life clear, and so now I focus my energy to where it best serves the big goal, and the small steps to getting there.
The first thing for me was to prioritize 1 big goal at a time. You can have several big goals, but the key is to prioritize them. One at a time. And so, building a coaching practice became the big goal for me. It’s the one I want to focus on, and the one that will make the biggest impact in my life right now. I get to focus on the small steps to get me there, and create routine around them.
Some examples might be the Jay Shetty certification, launching my new website, weekly blogging, activity on Linkedin. And so, once I have those small steps laid out, I can focus my energy on those small steps, making them routine. Always keeping the big priority or goal close in mind, so that I don’t loose focus.
Now let’s talk energy. I’ve talked about time vs energy before, and when it comes to the small steps towards bigger goals – energy plays a big part. Trying to achieve too many things at once drains energy and reduces productivity. That’s just a fact. And so, when we aren’t clear on the big goal or priority, how can we focus our energy on those small steps. We can’t. The map isn’t clear. It isn’t there, and so I’m going to make a guess that progress is limited. It all comes back to being very clear on the big priority or goal.
And so, if you are clear on your big priority or goal, and you think you are clear on the small action steps to get you there but you need a strategy to make them routine. I have just the thing.
3 steps to stop trying to multi-task, and instead single-task your way to success.
- Notice. Notice when things are getting messy. Too many moving parts, too much going on, and you are feeling distracted. The first step is to notice.
- Shift. Shift gears, bring your attention back to the present moment. Be mindful of where you are, where your feet are at. And shift your attention there.
- Rewire. Learn to savour the experience of being fully engaged in one thing at a time. To get the full benefit of committing and utilizing 100% of your energy on something worthwhile.
These 3 steps will help you build strong habits that will support those small steps you need to reach those big priorities or goals.
And don’t forget that most of this probably happens outside of your comfort zone, so if you are squirming a bit in your chair. That’s perfectly normal, and you are about to embrace some real change.