Keeping and checking items off on my checklist is the high point of my day. It could be a checklist for working towards a weight loss goal, improving my creativity in photography, or even building relationships with family and friends.
I am obsessed with growth, all day every day, and checking things off my list excites me because it immediately proves my progress towards my desired goals. However, every now and again, I catch myself slipping away from those goals.
Strangely enough, this setback tends to happen after several weeks of consistent effort. Take for example my physical health regimen consisting of 5-day gym exercises and a diet of protein and vegetables. When I step on the scale and see that I haven’t achieved the expected result for a week, I get discouraged, leading me back to my old habits of being a couch potato and indulging in forbidden foods. It’s such a contradictory mindset, where I see myself losing a battle and then making things worse by doing more of the wrong things. I’m pretty sure psychologists have a name for it.
On the flip side, when I see myself losing inches and pounds and experiencing all the benefits that come with making fantastic health choices, it keeps me motivated to do more of the right things, making the journey easier to stick to.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Lao Tzu
That’s why I want to encourage you today to take that first step. Not tomorrow, not next month, and certainly not on New Year’s Day. You have everything you need to make that move. Your first step could be researching what you want to achieve or reaching out to a friend who is on a similar path for tips. You can do both from the comfort of your home with a mobile phone. Create a plan based on your knowledge of how to achieve your desired goal, break it down into small, achievable steps, and get yourself hyped up by achieving your very first milestone. As you progress towards your goal, it becomes more attainable, and that’s only possible because you decided to take the first step.
Researching and writing plans for my goals gets me excited. It’s like giving my dreams a physical form. Putting my plans on paper (or on my phone) makes my dream feel more tangible. Regardless of the stage I’m at in my life, having a plan signifies that my dream is on its way to becoming a reality, and it’s mine for the taking.
The moment I start taking action is the most thrilling for me. Researching through various online learning platforms, bookmarking courses that will prepare me for a career certification, or looking into admission requirements for the schools where I hope to pursue my Master’s degree. During those times, you can find me excitedly reading through the curriculum, smiling to myself with joyous anticipation of the journey ahead. Just knowing that the power to change my life completely in a few months or years is within my hands. No one can stand between me and this goal except myself. I can’t help but envision my future self leading complex projects at work, getting promoted, and earning more money because I had the courage to take the first step towards achieving a certification or a Master’s degree.
At this point, I must remind you that the journey is not all rosy. Like every journey in life, there are ups and downs. Do not get hung up on the immediate outcomes, but set your sights on the goal. When the immediate outcomes are great, ride the wave by all means. On the other hand, when you encounter bumps in the road, keep pushing. Hills and valleys are part of the process. Every expert in their trade will tell you that several times in the journey, the outcomes were less than perfect, but they stuck to the plan.
Step into the future as if you’re in a sci-fi movie. Start envisioning yourself rocking the body of your dreams, wearing all those clothes that will now fit. Achieve things you never thought possible. Start envisioning yourself becoming all those things you’ve only ever wished for and never imagined could be yours. You have the power within you, and you need to snap back from that dream and commit yourself to doing the work. There are stories everywhere of people who were once homeless but, after a few years, became successful and moved into their own homes simply by planning and committing to the process. This story could be yours.
I tell you, success begets more success. Make a plan, and do all the necessary research to arrive at the plan, but don’t take too long. Ensure that your plan is broken down into smaller measurable steps toward the end goal. Then, without overthinking, take the first step and see how the wave carries you along. And just like the diet debacle I described earlier, you might stumble along the way, but you must get up and continue even stronger.
