Recently while on vacation in Portland I visited Multnomah Falls, the second highest waterfall in the country. It was breathtaking. We decided to make the challenging climb to the top to get a spectacular view.
As we ascended the mountain, we learned there were 11 switchbacks. My first thought was that there was no way we could climb all 11 given how steep it was, that surely our destination was at a lower number. I gradually realized that was not to be.
As we began our hike, it turns out it was fortunate that our journey had been broken down into smaller segments. After completing each switchback, we were that much closer to the top. These numbers were markers showing our progress to our goal. We felt more excited as the numbers got higher.
When pursuing a goal, how often do you break it into smaller milestones so you can pace yourself and feel a sense of accomplishment after each completion?
Often we are overwhelmed by the task or have an all or nothing mindset which can sometimes be an excuse for avoiding action.
On big goals, if we can’t do it all at once, or don’t know where to begin, we fail to take even incremental action.
We say we will lose 20 pounds, exercise every day for an hour or clean our entire office rather than taking smaller steps on each of these endeavors. How about starting with one pound, 30 minutes three times a week or a pile of files to put away?
Taking a project a step at a time and not minimizing that action will support you in completing it.
Once you start, use the guideposts to create momentum and acknowledge your progress. The view will look great when you get there!!