You know that thing that you’ve been putting off for a while?
That thing your instincts are telling you, “That’s what you should do now.”
That thing you don’t make time for, because you tell yourself you’ll “get to it” eventually—whether it’s fixing a shelf, upgrading your resume, putting a scrapbook together, or getting new headshots taken for your auditions.
Why does that day of action never come?
Maybe there’s stuff you want to unpack in the garage, phone calls you want to make to friends, a creative project you’d love to start, but you can’t find the time or space.
And then there are dreams—life-changing, life-altering desires—that you want to see come to life, like flying a plane solo, hiking the Appalachian trail, studying Socrates, or acting in a Shakespearean play.
If you want to do the thing you keep putting off, the question to ask is: What’s the easiest thing I can do in this moment?
When you’re avoiding or resisting doing the thing you know you want to do—that thing you know that, if you do, you’ll feel great about yourself afterwards— start with the simplest next step.
That might mean you simply pick up the phone and make a phone call. It might mean you the stairs down to the basement and open one box. It might mean you scratch the easiest to-do task off your list—like that dry cleaning that hasn’t been picked up for a week. Or get outside and take a 30-minute walk.
The point is to start somewhere. Somewhere easy.
Usually, that project that pulls on you is so happy to have your attention, it makes you feel elated just for showing up.
Even if it feels like drudgery at first, somehow taking that one step wakes you up. Your energy returns, and you feel good about yourself in the simple act of accomplishing.
As you continue to take action steps, that gratified feeling grows, continuing to give you joy, pleasure, contentment, esteem and energy.
Many times when we have so many other things going on in our lives—work, commitments to family and community, daily responsibilities—we don’t think we can have our dreams, too.
Life passes us by. We grow older. And all we can do is hope that we don’t look back with regret, saying I wish I did that thing.
Whether it’s a bucket list item, an unfulfilled life purpose, a different career, a vacation, or any other creative desire, we can always find the time to breathe it into being.
We get what we want by taking one small step at a time.
If a World Cup soccer player wanted to kick the ball from one goal to the other in one kick, the chances of him getting a goal is extremely low.
But, if he dribbles the ball one dribble at a time, he’s more likely to score.
I keep a painting on my wall at all times. Whenever I have a moment—even on my busiest days—I can walk by, pick up a brush, and do something small on the painting, just for a few minutes.
Collected minutes add up and I’m always surprised when a painting is finished before I even realize I’ve been completing it in increments.
Just a few minutes a day accumulates results.
Obviously, if we keep putting it off for a later date, it never happens. We think we need to devote all our time and energy to it—and that’s just not the case.
It’s amazing what we can accomplish in just one minute.
Wishing you all that you want to create right now!