Think Small to Go Big
“Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” — Epictetus
The Obstacle
A new year has started.
Time to start fresh.
We made promises last night and again this morning.
Commitments to ourselves.
To others.
We decided we’ll change.
We’ll do things better.
This is the year.
Yet, even now, there is a whimper of doubt…
How many of us decide… and then don’t follow through?
How many of us have lofty goals?
Visions of grand change?
We’re going to get in shape.
We’re going to start that project.
Build that business.
Get along with our partners and children better.
Stress less and be present.
Stop controlling and perfecting everything and everyone.
Stop saying yes to everything and everyone but ourselves…
We’re finally going to do, and stop saying.
Stop waiting to start.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
I hope this is the year for me…
I hope this is the year for you…
But hope will not get it done.
Change doesn’t come in an explosion.
It comes from a thousand consistent strikes.
The Gift and Opportunity
This is the year.
This is the year it will work because we’ll look past the grand and turn toward the simple.
We’ll decide that easy does it.
We’ll focus on systems and processes, not motivation and hope.
We’ll notice.
Notice where we are and what we are doing, as often as possible.
We’ll notice.
We’ll account for how much little decisions add up.
We’ll break things down into small, achievable tasks.
We’ll simply start, even when we don’t feel like it… just START.
Start that writing, that walk, the workout, the work…
We’ll notice that things are easy to start, we are more likely to start.
That when we start we are very likely to keep going.
This year could be the year of the small.
The year of noticing.
The year we take bite-sized chunks.
All things are done in small steps.
In small increments.
Extraordinary feats, and extraordinary people, are simply those who do ordinary things consistently for an extraordinary amount of time.
Let’s be extraordinary by being ordinary.
Think small to go big.
The Practice of Self-Mastery
Stop chasing motivation. Build systems that make progress inevitable.
Notice where you are and what you are doing, often. Presence precedes improvement.
Break everything down until it feels almost too small to matter, then do it.
Do the ordinary, consistently, without drama or delay.
START. START now and every day, just START
CHEAT CODE: NOTICE → SHRINK THE TASK → DO THE EASY REP (START) → REPEAT DAILY
