The power of baby steps
DO One Thing Different is a book by psychotherapist Bill O’Hanlon, who is a great believer that small changes can lead to big successes. This book tells a story about how one woman overcame her drug addiction by making just one very small change.
In 1999, Bill appeared on the popular Oprah Winfrey Show. A woman who watched the show e-mailed Bill and asked him to recommend psychotherapists who used similar approaches as he. Bill gave her three names, but never heard from her again.
A year later, Bill finally received another e-mail from the woman. She had contacted all the three psychotherapists, but could not afford their fees. So, she decided to heal herself of the addiction by doing “one thing different”.
She was taking 27 pills a day. Her addiction was so strong that even to reduce her intake by one pill was too big a step for her. She finally came up with a plan to scrape a bit off each pill.
That was the one small change. As the weeks passed, she would scrape off more and more of it. Ten months later, she had scraped so much off that she was no longer taking the drug.
This first step to success was important. It boosted her confidence and made her believe that she could eventually achieve bigger successes.
Small steps matter
We live in a generation that believes it can turn around its life in a day by one giant step. I believe the other way around, you can turn around your life through small consistent steps.
Life and success is a series of baby steps along the way. What builds up success is consistency.
If you add up these seemingly tiny little steps you take toward your goal.
One woman was able to break her addiction by taking small consistent steps. Baby steps come from breaking your larger goal into smaller and smaller elements, which you then achieve one by one.
What is the one small step that you can start with. Over time I have managed to write a lot of books by developing a habit of writing something daily, even a paragraph or even just jotting down ideas.
Baby steps are steps too
South African Speaker, and friend of mine Ronnie Masilela always says; “Baby Steps are steps too”. How so profound. You may not be seeing the progress now, but one day you will surely see it.
You will see that all those steps were worth it. It is the Chinese who says, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
No matter what kind of big success you want to achieve in life or how much money you want to earn from your business, you need to start with baby steps.
The baby steps are the ones responsible for their success. Many people want to make it big, but they don’t want to start small, which is why they fail.
Importance of baby steps
No matter what it is that you want to accomplish, start small. Take one small step at a time. As long as you’re doing it right, eventually, you will get there. But why are baby steps important.
1. They give you focus
Success demands clarity and focus. Without the focus on where you want to go, you will not go anywhere. With baby steps, you will know exactly what you need to do. And all you have to do is to follow the steps. Baby steps help you to see more of what is happening today and how to progress forward.
2. It prevents procrastination
It is easy to feel overwhelmed with a goal or an assignment. This often leads you to procrastinate. Baby steps help you deal with procrastination.
Many people feel that the work is too big to handle and they have no idea where to start. When we talk about baby steps, the focus is on taking the small steps that you can take.
3. It builds your confidence
Remember the addiction story. It started with one thing different. One of the main reasons successful people are able to produce amazing results is that they have the momentum and confidence.
And it all comes from taking one small step at a time.
When you accomplish one small step, you create one small victory that will boost your self-confidence.
The more small wins you created, the more confident you become. Tony Robbins rightfully said: “People who succeed have momentum.
The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed.
Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
4. It lowers your resistance to begin
The bigger the task, the more time and energy it is going to take.
Baby steps enable you to get the work done.
This also lowers your resistance to begin and to get it done. Do not wait for motivation to do anything. Break it down further into even smaller pieces and then just start.
5. Because it is the first step
Just start. This is the greatest motivation. There is no starting until you start. Starting small is important because it is the first step. There is no way around it. You can’t jump steps.
◆ Arthur Marara is a corporate law attorney, keynote speaker, corporate and personal branding speaker commanding the stage with his delightful humour, raw energy, and wealth of life experiences. He is a financial wellness expert and is passionate about addressing the issues of wellness, strategy and personal and professional development. Arthur is the author of “Toys for Adults” a thought provoking book on entrepreneurship, and “No one is Coming” a book that seeks to equip leaders to take charge. Send your feedback to greatnessclinic@gmail.com or Visit his website www.arthurmarara.com or contact him on WhatsApp: +263780055152 or call +263772467255.