“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” -Lao-tzu
Editor’s Note: his is a guest post by
Kristi Hines, the creator of Kikolani
Sometimes it is easier to set goals than to actually do something to work towards them. Large projects can seem overwhelming, and if you feel like you are always busy with the day to day things, it can feel like you will never have the time to do something grander.
Childhood Wisdom
There is a song that I remember from elementary school that went something like this.
“Little by little, inch by inch
By the yard it’s hard, by the inch, what a cinch.
Never stare up the stairs, just step up the steps
Little by little, inch by inch.”
It was always just a cute little rhyme we sang during class, but looking back, what a great piece of advice. Instead of letting yourself become consumed into thinking about how to get everything done in the entire scope of the project, just take it one step at a time.
Why This Works
Whenever you actually get started doing something, it tends to feel less daunting. You might even find that it will be easier than you thought it would be during the planning phase. Plus, once you begin to see any amount of progress, you will become more motivated to push into the project further and continue to get more things accomplished.
Breaking Your Big Idea Into Smaller Portions
So how do you break things down into simpler to tackle parts? Here are just a few examples…
Imagine that your goal is to write a book. Instead of thinking about the daunting task of what may feel like never-ending writing, why not just sit down and write a short summary of your story, a first paragraph, a list of characters, or a description of the main character?
Imagine that your goal is to start a blog. Instead of thinking about setting the platform up, choosing the theme, writing the content, and marketing, why not just purchase the domain name and hosting?
Imagine that your goal is to do some spring cleaning? Instead of thinking about how long it is going to take to go through all five rooms in your house, why not just look into one room, pick one closet, and throw some items you no longer want in a bag to be donated?
Imagine that your goal is to start exercising. Instead of thinking about how tough it will be to commit waking up an hour earlier and starting a regular routine, why not just take five minutes and go out for a walk?
How Do You Tackle Your Projects?
Do you find it difficult to begin large projects? Have you ever tried just starting with something simple to motivate yourself to get a project going?
Want to know more about Kristi? be sure to visit her at Kikolani for all the latest tips and pointers on blogging and social media. Her popular series Fetching Friday is something I look forward to every week.
If you enjoyed this article, consider email or RSS updates!
The mission of this site is to provide you with all the right strategies and resources to promote and encourage positive change in your life. All of the articles, 
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I am a log time fan of Kikolani and wanted to take this opportunity to welcome Kristi here for her first guest post at Advanced Life Skills. Currently, I am on the island of Kauai enjoying the day 1 of a two week stay in paradise. Thanks so much for doing this article Kristi and for your continued friendship and support.
Hey Kristi,
I love that rhyme which I’m sure will be particularly piquant to those who procrastinate.
In fact it’s the perfect method to overcome procrastination. It’s how I used to tackle my lacklustre issues.
Chunking down to those smaller tasks is always a great way to get started and then continue. You’ve given me an idea for a different area in which to apply this. I will share soon!
.-= Amit Sodha – The Power Of Choice´s last amazing blog post ..How To Inspire The World In Under 160 Characters =-.
This is really applicable to almost any task. For example, the Christmas tree that has yet to be taken down in my house. Instead of dreading it as a whole, I’m just going to start with taking off a few ornaments at a time.
.-= Kikolani´s last amazing blog post ..How I Got 200 Subscribers in My First Month of Blogging =-.
Oh boy did I need this post.
I tend to procrastinate, and having the big project hanging over me all the time is so unpleasant. Taking a first step relieves that awful feeling, and of course breaks the ice to actually start getting the project done. Thanks Kristi – maybe I will take that quick walk after work today. 
You’re welcome! It worked for me in the exercise department. I started just taking my Schnauzer for a short walk every day, and then just wanted to do more and more, until now I’m getting into doing regular workouts. On days I feel tired, I tell myself I’ll just do one favorite part of the workout, and that almost always gives me the boost I need to finish it. A little goes a long way!
.-= Kikolani´s last amazing blog post ..How Blog Commenting Has Made a Difference =-.
Reading your post in the morning is giving me a release! I like the part of breaking our big ideas into smaller portions, this will make life more easier and not complicated as it look like!
I have tried this my self in some of my big projects, and it was the only way to finish the work! and it was so beautiful see something simple grow to be a complicated thing! it’s exactly like building a big house!
very good post Kristi and thanks for sharing.
.-= Hesham´s last amazing blog post ..Top 6 Social Networks that Drive Traffic to my Blog =-.
And it doesn’t even have to be organized parts. I find that it is easier to get motivated to do something super small, and once you get started, you will end up doing even more than you planned, which is what makes it work. Or if you don’t time, you don’t get overwhelmed and discouraged about starting the project again later.
Seems to be the theme of the blogopshere today
. I”m a big fan of this concept. Goals seem so daunting when we view them as a whole. Break them down into bite size pieces and they’re not so bad.
Maybe it will be a new trend for resolution accomplishment in 2010!
Sometimes the motivation to keep going just takes over once I get started, so I totally love your idea of starting with a smaller goal. It’s a super way to get started.
.-= Nea | Self Improvement Saga´s last amazing blog post ..Peer Pressure and Conformity: Do You Fear Standing Out from the Crowd? =-.
That’s what I find too… unless there is a time restriction, I usually end up doing more than just that small bit and feel really accomplished once I go past that point!
Great article! I agree that making small steps can easily help you stay motivated. A lot of people try and set really high expectations, only to burn out before they get there because they lost their motivation.
.-= Justin Wright´s last amazing blog post ..How To Retire Young =-.
Burn out is something I end up with when I take a bigger bite than I can chew on a project, especially when I feel like I’m not quickly progressing through it. But setting the expectation lower makes it easier to feel like you’re making great progress, which is motivating to continue onward!
Thanks for reminding us of what we already know but continually forget. Anyone who has accomplished anything has done exactly what you suggest, taking one step at a time. And yet, we tend to stress about the next goal until someone is kind enough to remind us of the basics. Thanks for being that someone.
.-= Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.´s last amazing blog post ..Do You Have to Continually Grow as a Person to Be Happy? =-.
You’re welcome. Sometimes it is easier to give advice than to follow it, so it is nice to be reminded myself.
Kristi, thanks for this great post. Although it feels more satisfactory in the beginning to just think about the goal were after, it can become stressful as soon as we are faced by the myriads of things to do to get there.
Detaching our focus from the big picture and diving into the actual doing (which is always one thing at a time) and therewith becoming focused on the NOW not only reduces that stress but also allows us to enjoy not only achieving the goal in the end but also every step we take during the journey.
.-= Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com´s last amazing blog post ..UNWRAPPED: The Ultimate Guide to Get Where You Want to Go – FAST! Part 4 – Taking Care of Your Action =-.
That is a perfect way to say it, and I know someone who needs that last piece of advice greatly right now. Thanks!
Hi Kristi, great post, I loved the little rhyme; very simple but very true as well. I think a lot of people often don’t start projects or chase their goals because they are looking at the end result which can seem massive, whereas, like you say, if you actually start doing, make a move and the momentum will carry you forward.
.-= Steven Aitchison´s last amazing blog post ..5 Ways Blogging Can Save Your Sanity =-.
It is very easy to get frustrated when the final goal doesn’t happen as fast as you want it to, destroying the momentum. I hope that taking it slower helps more people actually reach their goals instead of fizzling out.
.-= Kikolani´s last amazing blog post ..11 WordPress Plugins to Analyze and Increase Traffic =-.
I love how you chunk it down.
When I write and plan, what works very well for me when I have the time, is to first look at it from a bird’s eye view. I think of it in terms of the forest and the trees.
So I check it out from the bird’s eye view and I begin to chunk it down. I write out steps. These are the trees.
Once I do this, it feels like a huge relief. It gives me so much momentum to move forward.
Daily, I can look at it and it works very well for me.
Now, cleaning out the closet is another matter as I do not create a mind map for that!
Iyabo
.-= Coach Iyabo, the Inner Genius Coach´s last amazing blog post ..My Heart On Haiti – How To Leverage Your Energy To Support Haiti =-.
Imagination is truly the key to the break thru of limited ideas and beliefs. We must become more then just creatures of despair and poverty, but creatures of optimism and big thinking. You are the master of your ship, the creator of your reality. And you do so with your thoughts! Make sure your ideologies are unlimited and infinite in it’s range!
Great Post Jonathan!
I’m trying to learn to be more optimistic by focusing on the good things instead of the bad. Great wisdom!
What a simple truth this is Jonathan. So simple that we tend to forget how easy it can be to create something of value and substance.
I once established a woodworking business in a very unusual niche. Everyone said that I would never be able to make a living at it. And as I looked at the big picture, I had to admit it seemed like a stretch.
But this is what I did: I started with a simple piece and learned to do that, then I learned to improve this a little, and then a little more… and…
It wasn’t difficult because I focussed strongly on each step instead of how in the heck I was going to build the entire operation. Before I knew it, I had an enjoyable business that provided a full-time income.
Despite how it looked when considering the idea, the actions that created it weren’t difficult because I followed that simple formula of breaking them down into manageable chunks — all directed towards the goal.
Good stuff — thanks
John
It sounds like you just enjoyed all of the small parts of building the business, and didn’t put so much pressure on the end result, which in turn helped you spend more time focusing on the growth part which led to it becoming a successful venture. That’s a great story to show how the little parts really make a difference in the end.
What a KEY truth this is. It is one that I have had to learn to live by. To do otherwise I would never accomplish anything. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is the only way I can accomplish BIG tasks, whether that is writing my book (which is now done and coming out this year –YEAH!
or simply using this same key to stay present in each moment.
It is also key to handling any stressful or crisis situation. It think it is just key to living a healthy, manageable life, one that goes beyond manageable into thriving…moment to moment. One that keeps us living in the PRESENT moment.
Wonderful post!! Fundamental wisdom!!
Thank you SO much Kristi; this is a good reminder for me.
Hugs,
Robin
That’s very true. When things are extremely stressful, everything feels insurmountable, so that is when it is most important to start dealing with things in bits as opposed to letting everything build up and get worse. And congrats on the book!
What are some of your small steps taking you this year John, if you don’t mind me asking? Where do you see yourself in the next 10 to 20 years? Are you expected to entire form the game of personal development soon? Be as honest as possible, hope to hear form you soon.
Kikolani –
I love this posting – it has an essence of calm and perspective running through it. I’ve found that every daunting task can be overcome one tiny step at a time. Sometimes during this process, the path we follow can actually change. The end result can be surprising and surpass our expectations. Thanks for the reminder.
Phil
It’s always about the small first steps whenever I’m successful at anything. Including waking up early or starting a new blog for example.
.-= Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com´s last amazing blog post ..Lessons From a Month of Meditation =-.
I like the concept of the Mt. Vernon Method, rumored to have been pioneered by Martha Washington, wife to our first US president, George Washington. It is rumored that, rather than trying to clean the whole house, which was huge, she would clean for only 15 minutes per day per room. That way, she was able to keep the Presidential House in order. I have utilized that to keep my clutter at bay, and it works pretty well
.-= Steve-Personal Success Factors´s last amazing blog post ..Now You Can Be As Productive As These Top CEO’s =-.
I’m a huge fan of the baby-steps method to getting into something.
I use this often when I am not in the mood to workout. Instead of going straight into the gym, I’ll walk to the grocery store, or go down to the beach. This gets the blood flowing a little bit, gets some life and energy into those lungs and suddenly I am not so ready to abandon that workout.
Alex W.
YourGoalBook.com