So many of us start January off with visions of big changes. These changes might involve improving your health, relationships or a special project that you've put off for awhile. It might be getting more exercise, more time with family members, quitting smoking, cleaning up a chronically messy desk, or starting a new educational program. Whatever your goal may be, unless you have a plan to achieve the goal, you may find like so many others that the goal is just not realized. So here we are at the end of January. How many of the things you said you were going to begin doing this month, have actually happened?
As we work with our clients, we not only help them with setting goals, but also help them identify the plan or detailed steps that are going to help them achieve the goal. For it is only with a series of carefully thought out steps that any goal can be achieved.
The plan needs to identify the small steps that over time will make that goal a reality. Sometimes these steps may be small - even really small. In his book "One Small Step Can Change Your Life", Robert Maurer, Ph.D. identifies that large goals often invoke fear, while small goals bypass fear and help us move toward achieving the next step. Moving one piece of paper or stray paper clip on the chronically messy desk may seem ridiculously small, but it is the first step.
What's one small step you can take right now to move toward something you want to achieve?
Mari Ryan, MBA, MHP, CWWPC
