Believe it or not, it’s the penultimate day in January… For a better perspective, the first 30 days of the year are behind us. Eleven more rounds of this cycle, and it will be 2023… Crazy, innit?
I am not quite sure how we got here, but January flew by in a flash. I am aware that this is contrary to popular opinion as some people argue that the month was relatively slow. Well, some of us can’t relate. For me, the past few months have moved at a supersonic speed, each month seeming faster than the one before it. So much so that I decided to research why it felt that way. I made some intriguing findings while I was at it (more of that in another post). It was also interesting to learn that it was a common phenomenon.
In terms of achieving our goals, I guess time moving at a slow pace should be some kind of advantage. However, the irony is that getting busy with our goals is a catalyst to speed up time while boredom seems to slow it down. For me, I am barely able to catch up on the things that need to be done, and I definitely wish time went by even more slowly. I didn’t do so badly either, though. I successfully crossed off a few things from my list and got started on others.
Building Blocks
It is common practice for people to begin the year with lofty goals and positive wishes. I am pretty sure you have yours written down somewhere, or you probably just left them as thoughts – well, if you don’t, you’re in the minority group. One month later, and some are blazing through their goals and recording significant progress, some are still in the process of finding a rhythm to the year (including myself). Some others are yet to get started.
So far, I have focused on laying the proper foundation for the year. That involves consciously setting up systems and habits that make for growth and efficient execution. I’m also intentional about not exerting unhealthy pressure on myself. As much as I want to move quickly on my goals, I know reality is not always in sync with expectations.
Starting Small
I have also been taking some baby steps on a couple of things, and as it often happens, the first steps are usually the hardest. Trying to figure out the dynamics and structure of any new endeavour can sometimes be overwhelming. From previous experience, I have learnt to not be too critical about having it all figured out before starting.
A senior friend of mine, Michael Oyinloye (the author of last week’s featured post), runs a weekly series on his medium page where he shares insights on navigating life. In January, the episodes in this series focused on the art of starting. The second entry in the series was titled “It’s okay to start small”, which pretty much sums up my approach to the things I’m looking to achieve this year.
Oftentimes, we believe that we have to start off by taking giant leaps to achieve big things. This mindset eventually deters us from even starting off because of the capital effort and subsequent risk that comes with such moves. Well, the good news is you don’t have to make a grand entry. You can take the big goals, break them down into small actionable bits, and execute. With a progressive plan and consistency, the little efforts here and there would eventually compound to produce great results.
Step by Step
Over on the blog’s IG page (follow us on IG), we began a new “#MotivationThursday” series. The idea is to share thoughts and quotes from others as sources of inspiration. The post from Last Thursday is a quote from Martin Luther King: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase”.
What’s that goal you’re sleeping on? Take the first step, and the second would figure itself.