Just One Thing ...
Discover the power of small steps

So, here you are, looking at buffing up your life in some way. Maybe to you that means a significant change: finally getting your finances in order, for example. Or possibly you want to do something more "simple," such as zapping your closet or an overstuffed garage. Then say hello to one of the greatest tools of all time: small steps—as in doing just one thing.

What if you were to do that yourself: simply jump in and take the first step. But don't stop there. Instead, just keep taking those small steps—even when they appear to be virtually negligible. Why? Because, believe it or not, those very steps can get the job done.

Click this link to see the small-steps approach applied to weight control and physical fitness. But its do-one-thing “methodology” works equally well with other goals and quests.

Like What?
Well, let's say that you want to develop a career, perhaps even a second one. And let's also say that it requires some formal education and/or hands-on training. If, at the outset, you start obsessing about everything that seems to lie between “here” and “there,” you may become discouraged. Perhaps so discouraged that you keep procrastinating until you wind up doing nothing. It happens.

So try this: just forget about whether the school or program will accept you. Forget about how you’ll pay for the training, or what if you can’t find a job afterward. Ditch the worries about whether you’re smart or “cool” enough to do this. Instead, do just one thing that feels like it takes you forward.

Maybe you simply call the school for some information or a catalog. Even that little step leads you to another, perhaps making an appointment with an advisor (and then showing up). If the question of how to finance this goal looms large, maybe you approach the financial-aid office.

Then, before you know it, you may feel confident enough to lay out a plan. Perhaps it starts a bit tentatively at first, but after a few more steps really starts to jell. And you’re on your way. Personal kaizen scores again.

Right: chances are, this person isn’t you, and this may not be your goal. But, do you actually have one? Although small steps can do a lot for you, you do have to know what you want. When you know that for sure, just do one thing to get started. Then do another...and another. Before you know it, you too will have your "shazzam!" moment.

If you find you're lacking that certainty about what you want, just click on the image above to work through the online, self-directed (and free) mini-course at our sister site: Procrastination Strategies. Then you really will know what you want.

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