Goals. Intentions. Transformations. I am amazed at how these words can intimidate and overwhelm people. The moment they enter a conversation they are often followed by stories of how many times someone set a goal and never achieved it. The energy often shifts to a distinct feeling of sadness, frustration and often hopelessness.
Often there can be a resistance to even contemplating a change or creation of a goal because the person has already determined that they will never succeed or that it is simply too much or too difficult to even try. It also appears that there is usually plenty of support to find from others in encouraging this negative energy. Many times people are quick to share cautionary tales of others who have tried and failed.
The result is that the reason so many people say they never accomplish their goals or intentions are because they never start.
Focus on the power that one step can have. There’s nothing wrong with having a final goal or intention but once you have it, work backwards and create a list of steps or “mini” goals that need to be taken to get to the final goal. Think of it as the path. Then take the first step on that path and make that your immediate goal. I guarantee this goal will be a LOT less complex and overwhelming than the final one. It may require an action so simple it will seem insignificant yet it will create an energy of action and that is what is critical. Without those seemingly insignificant action steps there will be no progress towards your goals, but with them….it is walking the path toward a new destination. Another benefit is that focusing on the small goals along the way allows us to be more fully present throughout the journey instead of mindlessly moving through the days only looking far into the distance.
So I encourage you to step out of the energy of defeat and hopelessness and turn your focus to taking one small action, experience what it feels like to succeed at that small action and use that energy to take another small action and another until, before you know it, you have accomplished more than you thought possible!