Big things can be daunting. So a common piece of advice you’ll hear is “take the smallest possible step towards the big goal.” The idea is to break it down into more manageable pieces so you can make (and observe) real progress.
That’s good advice! But I also see people get stuck, even on that. I’ve got an idea why. Breaking a big goal down into small chunks still requires you to think about the big goal. For a lot of reasons, that can be really daunting. Maybe you’re truly afraid of the big thing. Maybe you don’t even know what the big thing is yet, you just know you have a big thing-shaped hole in your life and something has to go there. So maybe there’s still a reason you aren’t ready yet.
So, let me modify the advice some: “Take the smallest possible step towards anything.”
You don’t have to figure out your life today. But if you do:
- Nothing, or
- The same things you do every day
Then you won’t ever get closer. So, do something different. Did you bake a pie yesterday? No? Then bake one today. Give it to someone. Better yet, share it with someone. Someone you don’t normally see.
Do that every day (something new every day, that is – not just a new pie-related rut) until either you’re ready to tacke the Big Questions or until you die. Either way, that’s a pretty good life. And it’s not hard to do.
The Opportunity Machine 