before. Lots of coaches and programs, lots of motivational
seminars, books and conferences encourage you to take
"massive action" or create major changes in life, really
fast.
And of course, when that's both possible and appropriate,
it's wonderful! What fun to dramatically expand your income
and get rich and famous all at once! If you can get fit,
slim and trim, buy new clothes and become a whole "new you"
in 30 days, go for it! I love it when that happens!
But it doesn't happen very often. And when it does, it
doesn't always last. Not everyone who wins the lottery
finds happiness in the months afterward.
Philip Hubert wrote, "For myself (call me a small thinker if you wish), I prefer
the solid reliability of persistent, consistent small steps
that inevitably lead to the achievement of my most
important goals.
The past couple of weeks, I've seen the practicality of
that once again.
Underneath our home, we have a huge storage area, about
1400 square feet. It's a semi-finished basement that, when
we built the house twenty years ago, we planned to finish
into a daylight basement and family room. But, until we get
to that (someday, real soon now!), I'll just store these
old files down there. And, since there's plenty of room,
this old couch and these tools and those boxes of books
will go nicely over in that corner. You get the picture.
For years, it's been full of junk.
Well, no more! A couple weeks ago, I decided my "Winter
project" was to clear it all out. In a single afternoon.
Yeah. Sure. Right.
That first day, I made dramatic progress. I took a pick-up
load of files from my old clinic to be shredded, several
hundred pounds worth. It was a great start and all it cost
me was exhaustion, a sore back, and a few dollars. Several
days later, I'd made no additional progress and
discouragement set in.
So I made an executive decision. No more "all in one day"
fantasies. I committed to doing something, no matter how
big or small, every single day. "Inch by inch, anything's a
cinch" became my motto.
And in two weeks, I'm almost done. A couple loads have been
donated to Goodwill, and a couple loads have gone to the
dump. We've sold almost $2000 of old tools and furniture,
and the floor is clear except for the new shelves I've
built. This week, I'll install new lighting and next week
the carpet guys are coming. Inch by inch, day by day,
really works!
I suspect the same thing will work for you on just about
any goal you are truly determined to achieve.
Want to learn a new language? It can't be done in a day,
but practice 30-60 minutes a day and in a month, you'll see
some nice results.
Want to double your sales, run a marathon or raise healthy
kids? You won't accomplish those things in a day, or even
in a week. But over a few weeks or months, anything is
possible!
The key is small, persistent and consistent steps, every
single day. Want to save for retirement? Invest a little
every month. Want a better marriage? A nice date every
week, and conversation over brunch each Sunday can work
wonders.
A great life is no accident, and it doesn't happen over-
night. A great, balanced and satisfying life is built day-
by-day, over time and with persistent action. It's built
with some consistent trial-and-error and even more trial-
and-success!
Big, rapid change requires tremendous discipline, skill and
unusual luck. It's hard work, and it can be upsetting for
everyone involved, including yourself and your loved ones.
That breeds resistance and hesitation.
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