The Every-Day Magic of Small Steps

One of the great tragedies is to carry a dream and never
take action to make it come true. To die with your dreams
and aspirations still inside you, waiting for another time,
another day, or a 'big break' is the greatest of failures.
Do not let that happen! Do not wait 'until'!

Literally every thing you see and every tool you use, even
the chair you're sitting on, began as nothing but a thought.
Someone had an idea for a chair. Henry Ford had an idea
that cars could be in every garage. Your computer began as
an idea and a series of huge, crude devices in the 1940's.
The actual computer you are looking at right now began as
someone's idea that they could manufacture and sell
computers better, faster and cheaper than anyone else.

Everything starts with an idea. It always has, and always
will.

Many people have observed that 'ideas are things'.
Thoughts and words have the power to move us, to change us,
and to become living, breathing, tangible things! In a sense,
our world is made up of nothing but thoughts and words!

But there is a gulf between an idea and its fulfillment.

Most 'things' are actually still-born and never come to
fruition because we fail to span the gulf between potential
and reality. That gap can only be bridged with daily
action.

How many times have you thought of an invention or process
that could be worth a fortune, done nothing about it, and
then found that same (or a similar) product for sale a few
months later? We've all had that experience. Someone got
rich off 'your' idea and the difference is that they took
specific, concrete, focused ACTION. Their product is in
the store, for sale, making them money, and your idea is
still...a dream.

Here are some basics, some essentials to make your dreams
come true:

1. Plan your days. Every evening, plan the following day.
First thing in the morning, plot your strategy. Leaders
have always done this! This is not new! But only about 4%
of the population does it. Write down your priorities and
choose your daily actions.

2. Keep a list of big things. On your desk, or on your
bathroom mirror, keep a list of your most important
projects, goals and commitments. Keep it where you see it,
and read it, every day. Keep it current. What we think
about, gets done.

3. Keep a list of small things. Keep a list of 5-minute
tasks, phone calls or notes that you can do any place, any
time. When you wait for an appointment, make that call.
When you have a minute, send a note or read a few pages.
Always know 'what's next' and take action, every single
day.

4. Take magnificent care of yourself! Healthy, happy,
energetic people get the most done. It takes time and
energy to achieve greatness. If you 'don't have time', or
are 'too tired' or too distracted or too anything, you will
not achieve your dreams. Take care of yourself.

We've all heard the phrase, 'Rome wasn't built in a day.'
We know that 'a journey of a thousand miles starts with a
single step', and we've heard the Serenity Prayer that
begins, 'Give me the courage to change the things I can.'

You cannot achieve great things over-night because in
general, human beings do not do 'big' things. We do little
things. We get up, we go to work. We hug our loved ones,
we make phone calls. We balance the checkbook, exercise
and fix dinner. We do little things! Highly successful
people simply do the right little things, at the right
time, in the right way, and they do lots of them.

If you would achieve great things, do little things and
pile them one on top of another, until you reach the stars.

Author: Philip Humbert, PhD