Baby Steps
One mantra I’ve been embracing recently as I’ve been working towards some big goals is surprisingly simple: one step at a time.
I know we’ve all heard this colloquialism countless times – but I realized I wasn’t actually applying it, and as a result I was letting the feeling of overwhelm get to me.
Here’s how I’ve been putting this mantra into practice to remedy that! It’s been very helpful for me when I’m executing a complex project at work, writing an article, or even doing a challenging workout. Bonus: it also brings more mindfulness and presence into our lives.
Outline the Steps + Get Started
Write down all the steps it takes to reach your desired end result. It may look overwhelming, but we’re not trying to do it all at once. Then, just start with the smallest step. The hardest part is always just getting started! Here are a couple examples of this from my life:
Work: Open up a doc and write an outline of the article and any sources I need. Start writing the first paragraph
Personal: Start the first move of the workout
Focus on One Thing at a Time
Instead of multi-tasking, I just focus on that one first step and save the rest for after. Once that first step is complete, move onto the next one! I believe this laser focus is more productive than jumping back and forth in between tasks.
Work: Focus on one paragraph at a time. (I personally don’t worry about editing as I write a first draft, and instead edit later as a separate step.)
Personal: Focus on the one movement that I’m doing, paying extra attention to form, muscle engagement, and the mind-body connection. Then, when those repetitions are finished, I begin the next move.
Planning and Prioritization
I like to plan out my day according to my priorities and deadlines. I find it’s super helpful to list out everything I need to do and then prioritize in order of importance. Making a plan allows us to schedule time to complete specific tasks, as well as find a place to integrate healthy habits into our day. Of course life happens sometimes, but making a plan gives us a better chance of accomplishing our priorities.
Work: After I wake up and get ready for the day, I’m going to write for 30 minutes.
Personal: I’m going to do a workout at 5pm after my meetings.
Small Changes
Especially for habits, I recommend making incremental changes.
Work: Instead of trying to complete an entire piece of writing in one session, I’ll break it up and write an outline, then a rough draft, a final draft, and so on.
Personal: When I wanted to learn how to hold a headstand, I would set aside a few minutes at the end of my workout to practice it. I would try to reach a little higher and balance a little longer everyday, and eventually I was able to do it!
Mindset
As someone whose mind is always jumping into the future and running a million miles a minute, this mindset of one step at a time helps me to stay more present and mindful of the task at hand. I know once I’m done with that step, I can jump to the next one and fully enjoy the process of each – whether it’s writing a piece, doing a workout, or something else!
Lastly, we must stay optimistic. A reminder that I affirm to myself when I’m getting overwhelmed by my to do list or a big project is that I indeed can accomplish everything! I then try to follow through as best I can. It’s okay if everything doesn’t all get done in the time we hope for, because it’s bound to as long as we keep working at it!
