Doing anything from scratch is hard.
Doing something and scary, that seems like it might take everything you have – if it’s not beyond you entirely?
That’s a tough ask.
Sure, some people are fired up by taking on challenges right at the edge of their comfort zone…
But for most of us, we’ll just procastinate when the task requires too much of us.
It’s easier to do what we know than to figure out something new.
The stuff that’s readily within our grasp might not be as compelling or interesting as whatever’s calling to us on the horizon. However, it has one big advantage:
We know we can get it. Sometimes, because we already have it.
Faced with a choice between certain reward (however small it might be) and an uncertain payoff, where we’ll only experience success if we make it to the finish line, we tend to make the predictable choice. Not the one that’s best for us in the grand scheme – the one that allows us to put in minimum effort and still get some kind of return.
In part, this is a problem of perception.
The bigger & more daunting the challenge, the less likely we are to choose it over something more familiar.
If we’re not careful, we can drift some one path of least resistance to the next in an endless cycle, eternally settling for less than what we could be – simply because we haven’t taken the time to counteract our biases.
The solution is as simple to understand as it is easy to implement:
Break it down.
Forget about the distant mountain peak, mocking your attempts to summit it.
Forget the other climbers halfway the mountain… or the people you pass at the trailhead who warn you against even trying.
If you’re determined to do this – if you’re determined to climb this mountain, and you’re comfortable with your reasons for doing so – then forget about the destination.
Instead, focus on the journey.
The only part of the mountain you should concern yourself with is the bit right in front of you.
Yes, it’s good to be aware of changing conditions. Storms blowing in. A difficult stretch you might able to work around if you spot it in time.
But all the effort we spend on thinking, plotting, ruminating, and forecasting is wasted unless we back it up with action:
The smallest possible unit of action. Something that helps us navigate the task at hand and get closer to our ultimate destination.
If the thought of the road ahead disheartens you, stop looking at how far it stretches into the distance.
Instead, focus on the piece at your feet.
Take this next step.
Then another.
Then another.
And before you know it, you’ll have momentum on your side.
Rather than being discouraged at how far you’ve left to go, you’ll be bolstered by how far you’ve come.
It begins and ends by giving the smallest unit of action imaginable – a single step – the respect it deserves.