On starting and consistency
• 🖊 Felipe Bojorquez • 🏷 thoughts
It’s better to start with a small step than not start at all. I started keeping track of small daily goals. Even simple tasks. I allowed myself to start small, to be okay with making even the smallest of tasks towards a goal. I write a check mark on my planner when I complete one and it has worked wonders. I’ve had more consistency right now than I’ve ever had. Seeing the small string of checks is a satisfying experience and a testament to my growth and work on myself.
It’s been incredible to see how I don’t dread that small task but rather when I see the empty square I want to jump into action to mark it as complete. It’s no longer scary, I know that a small action will be rewarding. The fact that it can be small removes the anxiety from it.
The important thing is to not have zero days. To avoid days where nothing is made towards a goal. A step in the right direction is progress, however small the step might be. Take advantage of our natural duty cycle. Progress and achieving our goals lay at the end of a string of non-zero days. That’s how a habit is made.
This doesn’t mean not resting. Rest is part of it. No two moments are ever the same. How progress looks will change day to day. If rest and taking care of oneself is what’s needed, then that’s the action that needs to be taken. We are not machines, we are humans.
I’ve delayed starting things because it’s not been the “best” time to do it. But when I look back, I see that time has passed and no progress has been made. That’s when I realize that I would have been better if I had instead started. Even if the steps I would have taken would have been small or imperfect. I would be in a better place than at the start. It becomes painfully obvious when the time frames become longer.
Five minutes is better than nothing. One is more than zero. Start, even if with small steps.
A happy side effect of this approach is finding joy in the journey. If we allow ourselves to approach our goals and projects with kindness for ourselves and others, we will be much closer to finding fulfillment in the journey itself. We should never forget to be present and enjoy the steps we take. Taking small actions and noting them allows us to cherish our unique journey, however it may be.
Perfection really is the enemy of the good. That is our nature. Start something. Approach it with kindness, enjoy the process and keep having non-zero days.