The Power of Small Steps

Quotes: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” –  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do.”      –  Martha Grimes  __________________________________________________________________   The Power of Small Steps Everything starts with an idea. Your future will be-it must and can only be–what you imagine for yourself. Thoughts and words have the power to move us, to change us, and to become living, breathing, tangible things! But there is a gulf between an idea and its fulfillment. That gap can only be bridged with daily action.   Here are some basics, some essentials to make your dreams come true: 1.  Plan your days.  Every evening, plan the following day. First thing in the morning, plot your priorities. Leaders have always done this! This is not new!  But only about 4% of the population does it. Write down your priorities and choose your daily actions. In advance. Every day. 2.  Keep a list of big things. On your desk or on the dashboard of your car, keep a list of your most important projects, goals and commitments. Keep it where you see it, and read it, every day. Keep it current. What we think about, gets done. 3.  Keep a list of small things. Keep a list of 5-minute tasks, phone calls or notes that you can do any place, any time. When you wait for an appointment, make that call. When you have a minute, send a note or read a few pages. Always know “what’s next” and take lots of small, effective actions, every single day. 4.  Take magnificent care of yourself!  Healthy, happy, energetic people get the most done. It takes time and energy to achieve greatness. If you “don’t have time”, or are “too tired” or too distracted or too busy with small things, you will not achieve your dreams. Take care of yourself. Manage your life. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” We know that “a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,” and we’ve heard the Serenity Prayer that God, “Give me the courage to change the things I can.” You cannot often achieve great things over-night because in general, human beings do not do “big” things. We do little things. We get up, we go to work. We hug our loved ones and make phone calls. We check email, exercise and fix dinner. We do little things! Highly successful people simply do the right little things, at the right time, in the right way–and they do lots of them. If you would achieve great things, do little things and pile them one on top of another, until you reach the stars.  Start today.