Change isn’t easy. Unless you have a magic wand, making the changes needed so you achieve your goals isn’t something that typically happens right away. Yet in the pressurized and stressful world of change that is our new norm, the urge to just find a “quick fix” to make the journey from where you are to where you want to be shorter is pervasive.
I was working with a client who headed up a fast-moving, fast-growing and very innovative company. One of the challenges they had is that people were so busy working so hard doing great work, silos were forming and opportunities to collaborate more effectively or innovate some of their ways of working were being missed. Feeling the pressure of the big mandate she had, at one point my client said, “Some of these ideas the team came up with seem so simple I’m worried they might be just scratching the surface. I want to find a deeper solution.” Her concern opened up a great coaching conversation about the power of taking baby steps.
The reality is there are no deeper solutions possible without individual baby steps. In the pressure to perform, it was hard for my client to see or appreciate that big changes can only ever come from small acts and choices, taken consistently. To many of the educated, Type A achievers out there, our brains easily discount the impact of a single and simple action, taken on a regular basis. We can’t tackle the big challenges “out there” in the world, in our businesses, in our families until we firmly take the reins of accountability and make choices about the little things over which we actually do have control and influence.
But the latest in behavior science by BJ Fogg and others shows that the smaller the step, the more powerful the end results.
Here are some tips to help with your next baby step:
Make it “Laughably Small”
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Taking a baby step means defining something that is so small and clear you know whether you’ve done it or not. Researcher and behavior scientist, BJ Fogg, advocates for “tiny habits” – a plan of action that is something you can do in 30 seconds or less. Instead of a habit of “workout for 30 minutes” a baby step would be to put your running shoes on.
The simpler the better. If your baby step is too complicated, or there are too many corollary sub-actions contained in it, it’s hard to know at the end of the day whether you’ve accomplished it or not.
Start with One
Another trick our clever minds can play is to overload our baby steps. There’s a Russian proverb that says, “If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.” Keep your focus on one thing. If you feel inspired to do more after you’ve completed your baby step, that’s great!
I remember a time when clutter in my house with 3 growing children in it was starting to really weigh me down. I could never seem to get ahead of it, and the perpetual search for the missing sock or mitten was getting ridiculous. Yet tackling the clutter seemed insurmountable. I decided to start with sorting out my sock drawer. Mis-matched socks, old worn socks, ones I hadn’t worn in 15 years were decluttered. Even now it seems ridiculous, but looking at my neatly organized sock drawer inspired me! I rode that wave of enthusiasm and accomplishment to tackle a cluttered drawer in the kitchen, then my desk in my home office, then the front hall closet. Start with one simple step of success, and you can build upon it.
Vote for Yourself Through Action
No matter how old you are, how many degrees you’ve earned, or how many years of experience you may have, there’s something magical and inspiring about a check box. Whether it’s keeping a progress chart on your fridge or in your journal, what you put your focus on helps keep it in your awareness.
Beyond just keeping track of how many times in a week you accomplish your new baby step, taking intentional action also helps to shift your mindset and sense of identity. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” This shift in mindset is what helps to sustain your progress over the long run.
Truly, the journey of a thousand miles can only ever begin with a single step.
