If you’re anything like me, you want to dream big, hit those aspirations, and become a better person.
And if you’re anything like me again, the only way you achieve that is taking long strides instead of short steps.
For example, losing weight in 30 days, or completing two books in a month—even if you’ve never made it past the first page of a book.
You’re motivated by change, and that’s great.
But be realistic.
Being realistic is wrongly considered to mean without courage or unable to dream big.
The term is also used as an excuse to not move out of fear. But the definition means to:
See things as they really are and deal with them in a practical way —Merriam-webster
Realistic means being ambitious, yet seeing the process your ambition demands.
It means you know being a productive person requires more than a “trying to change” desire, when you are cut from scattered clothes and dirty plates.
It means taking small leaps: tidying your bed when you wake up, clearing your plates after eating.
Starting small seems obscure.
It is why many embrace haste and overnight success.
We imagine determination and grit will speed up a process. Yes, it will. Increasing manpower lets work get done faster.
But resolve won’t erase fundamental steps.
No matter how hard you try, you won’t become a reader overnight. You’d have to face the boredom of flipping pages; the pain of discipline.
The shedding of bad habits.
You won’t be an early riser from writing “wake up by 5 am” as a goal. You will have to overcome the temptation to sleep late. Miss some 5 am alarms.
Learn to put your phone away.
Those small, rudimentary steps can’t be ignored.
Try to rush past them, and you will find yourself in a pit of frustration masking as “I can’t do this”.
Start small.
Speed happens when process is followed.
Instead of trying to carry a 40kg weight when you have no record of weight-carrying, learn how to carry 5kg, then 10kg.
Till your strength allows a 40kg.
Your energy will be preserved, time saved, training endured, and lessons better learnt.
Oh and you’d actually achieve your goal.
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Cover image from Unsplash
