Day 3 – Small Wins, Big Momentum

How many of us would take 2 tons of rock from the front of our house to the back yard in 1 trip, in 1 bag hung over our shoulder?  No one!  You will take 1 utility cart after another.  Self-motivation thrives on progress, not perfection.  When teaching martial arts, I tell people that even sloppy self-defense is better than perfect self-defense.  It takes too long and might never present itself, a perfect situation, so you can use a perfect move.

Today, choose one thing you’ve been avoiding and commit to just starting — even for two minutes.  Writing down what you want and to what end is a great way to start.  Seeing your steps in action can be motivating if you stop dreading small steps of progress.  Once begun, momentum will carry you further than motivation ever could.  Stop anticipating the work and time involved.  What usually happens, and you know this, is that the actual time needed is so much shorter than the time anticipated and dreaded.  Always strive for the small wins.  If you wait for the perfect path to a perfect outcome, you will be waiting your whole life, when small wins get you closer to the end.
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Pick one task you’ve delayed and begin immediately. Focus on the start, not the finish.