Start Small
“To create something great, start extremely small” – Seth Godin
I love new. New ideas, new projects, new ways of doing things, new anything(s). I get energy from thinking about change.
The problem is, I get excited about the new, then immediately overwhelmed by the amount of hard work, planning, focus and time it takes to do anything worthwhile.
Anyone can have a great idea. The execution of a great idea is what separates the good from the great, the content from fulfilled, and the “getting by” from the successful.
Some people just seem to consistently get it done, and I’ve always wondered, “how do they do it?”.
Well, I found the secret, and it’s a very sophisticated and complicated process management theory that only the most educated and intellectually advanced can understand.
Actually, that’s not true… at all.
Just like most things in life, there is no secret. There’s no hack. There is no shortcut. There is just hard work and discipline. And sometimes, a little luck.
However, there is a thought that I believe helps tremendously when working towards a big goal; start small.
Thinking about a running a marathon is incredibly overwhelming. But when you train for a marathon, you don’t start by running 26.2 miles. You start by running A mile. Then two, then three, and so on. And eventually, if you have enough determination and grit, you’ll find yourself drenched in sweat crossing the finish line.
It’s the same with financial goals.
Many of us have dreams, ambitions and great ideas, that if executed upon, would allow us to live our best lives. But we’ve been conditioned to dismiss many of these ideas because of our “baggage”. Because of all the other ideas we’ve had that just didn’t go anywhere.
We can’t help it. We’ve been biologically programmed to protect ourselves from harmful experiences and failing at anything hurts.
Well, today is a new day. If you’ve ever had an urge to do something big; run a marathon, start a business, take a year off from work to travel the world – write it down. Then tomorrow, tell someone about it. Then the next day, google it. And the next day, find someone that’s done it and ask them about their experience.
And each day thereafter, take a moment to work on that idea. Before you know it, maybe you’ll surprise yourself. Maybe this time, taking one small step at a time, you’ll stick with it and turn your dream into a reality.
I hope you do. We only have one shot at this, so might as well do it how we want to.
If you get stuck, want to bounce an idea off someone, or just want someone to help you plan; give me a ring.
This is my “something big” – I want to spend my career inspiring and helping people turn their dreams into reality. Let’s work together to do something great.