“You don’t have to see the whole staircase,” Martin Luther King Jr. once said. “Just take the first step.”
Change can often feel overwhelming. It may seem like you have endless meetings, phone calls, distractions and overall chaos in your life that keeps you from starting something new or working toward your goals. Like Dr. King stated, it‘s important to focus on the step directly in front of you. By doing so, you work toward a small, achievable goal rather than allowing yourself to feel overwhelmed by the big picture.
Here are a few things you can do to take that first step toward your goal:
- Plan and prepare: What do you need to get started? Whatever your goal may be, such as reading a book or starting an exercise routine, take a look around to see if you have what you need to make it happen. The night before you start, get everything you need together, and set it somewhere you can’t miss. Prepare yourself with the tools you need to take the first step toward success.
- Start small: Count down from 5, and when you hit 1, attack that first step. Go in with as much excitement as you would have as a kid running after an ice cream truck. But as you jump into your goal with energy and excitement, remember that taking the first step doesn’t need to be all or nothing. It could simply be meal prepping two meals for your week or reading for 10 minutes before going to bed. You could even join our 10-minute stretches online or in person!
- Remind yourself of your goal: It‘s easy to get sidetracked and distracted. That’s why it‘s important to have reminders or someone to keep you accountable and focused. Write down your goal and little reminders on Post-it Notes, and stick them in places you’ll see them every day — like on your bathroom mirror or in your wallet. You can also contact anyone from the Slainte team. We are happy to act as your accountability partner to check in with you on your progress.
- Breathe and reset: Starting your journey toward a new goal can be overwhelming. When it feels like too much, remember to breathe and focus on one step at a time. A great breathing technique to try is box breathing. This is when you inhale, hold your breath, exhale and hold your breathe again, counting to four in your head as you complete each step. Repeat this technique as much as you need whenever the process feels like too much. Breathe, refocus and come back stronger.
- Just start: No matter what it is, take the first step. It doesn’t matter if you can’t see the whole journey. What matters is that you start.
Remember, all you have to do is focus on what is right in front of you. Starting small is still starting.
by Jenna Linstra