I Will Take One Step

We spend an enormous amount of time thinking about the distance between where we are and where we want to be. We look at the size of the problem, the amount of work involved and everything that could go wrong. Then we convince ourselves that because we cannot see the whole journey, we shouldn't begin it. But what if you stopped worrying about the journey and concentrated on one step?

“I will take one step” is a deceptively powerful statement. It doesn't promise success. It doesn't pretend the road ahead will be easy. It doesn't require you to know exactly where you will end up. It asks you to do something much more realistic: move. 

Sometimes that first step is the hardest because it means breaking through the thinking that has kept you where you are. Fear tells you to wait. Doubt tells you that you're not ready. Overthinking gives you another hundred reasons why today isn't the right day. And so another day passes.

You don't need to have everything worked out before you begin. You don't need confidence before you take action. Sometimes confidence arrives because you took the first step. That is an important part of positive thinking. Thinking alone doesn't change your life. What you do with your thinking does.

If something matters to you, ask yourself what one thing you could do today. Make the phone call. Write the first page. Go for the walk. Have the conversation. Ask the question. Start learning. It may feel insignificant. It isn't. Every journey has a first step.

You are not broken because you haven't reached where you want to be. You are simply standing somewhere on the journey. So stop measuring the distance. Look ahead. Take a breath. And take one step.