We have seen in the first chapter that actions and small actions are crucial to success and could be the “biggest change” in your life.
I love a quote by Lao Tzu that is so apt for this chapter— “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” It is suited for anything and everything in your life—running a marathon, becoming an entrepreneur, getting a six-pack, directing a movie, writing a book, learning music, building a metro rail line, climbing Mount Everest and many more. It holds good for the individual or organization or even a nation having any goal in front of them.
Small actions and the next immediate step are the only steps within your control and the only thing you can surely do. Rest are in the future. As you take that next immediate step, you might learn that valuable lesson or get to know a person who could change your life. Next immediate step could develop the maturity for future steps, or help gain an experience that will improve your grit.
There is a big list of factors in your favour if you are going to use “Small Actions and Next Immediate Step” secret:
- You will not be overwhelmed irrespective of the size of the project – climbing Mount Everest or writing a book or learning a new language. Your focus is on the next immediate step that is small, which is always easy and within your reach. Due to this, you will have lesser anxiety.
Since I was writing my first book, I was a little overwhelmed when I started writing as the publisher, and I agreed for close to 250 pages in the book. The 250-page book is a big task giving me the impression that it needed bigger steps. When I used the secret of small actions and next immediate step, I converted this bigger task into small actions (500 words a day) and next immediate step (write something today) and this brought in a significant change in my mindset. The result, I had my first draft way ahead of my schedule. You will achieve bigger things in life if you follow this secret.
- There is certainty around what to be done. Generally, we get stressed due to unknown and uncertain events. Because the next immediate step is so clear and certain, you will never be stressed and frustrated.
- Action leads to momentum, which leads to change that ultimately leads to the accomplishment of the entire goal. Each next immediate step creates action, success, momentum and celebration, which are so crucial for maintaining consistency. I started writing 500 words per day, and most of the days end up writing more than that. Success momentum due to small actions, and the next immediate step is a crucial contributor in me completing my first book.
- Some of us need immediate gratification or want to see the benefit. Even for larger projects, completion of the next immediate step helps us see the benefits in our eyes, which acts as a catalyst for further actions. As you could see, completing a book could take time, but 500 words a day gives you many opportunities to celebrate and brings consistency.
- Improves our self-confidence and also gives a sense of comfort that we are on the right track.
- Be present in whatever you do. Instead of overthinking about the future, you will be mindful in whatever you do, which will improve your productivity.
- Since you know the next immediate step, you will be less distracted and hence, more productive.
How can you design your next immediate steps on anything?
I like the way Gary W Keller and Jay Papasan (author of the book One Thing) converts your someday goal into the next immediate step. It is so simple and yet highly effective. Below are the steps:
- Get clarity on your someday goal (it could be learning music or a big project).
- Ask yourself “Where do you need to be at the end of this year to achieve that someday goal?”
- Ask yourself “Where do you need to be at the end of this month to achieve that year-end goal?”
- Ask yourself, “Where do I need to be at the end of this week to achieve the month-end goal?”
- Ask the question “Where do I need to be at the end of today to achieve my weekend goal?” This last question will most likely tell you that “next immediate step,” and it could be as simple as “Google music teachers near me.”
- Once you have captured the next immediate step, take action and complete that step. Once you complete it, identify your next immediate step (could be “Call the Top 5 listed numbers”).
Reflections
- How will your life be different if you focus on small actions and the next immediate step always?
- List your three someday goals and identify small actions and next immediate step for each of them.
- How could you make “small actions” and “next immediate step” part of your life?
- What tool will you use to organize and capture your small actions and the next immediate steps?
Self-Evaluation
Please select what resonates with you after reading the chapter and reflecting on the questions. Evaluation is just for you, and nobody is going to look at this. So, be honest in your evaluation:
- It is difficult for me to identify and work on small actions and the next immediate steps.
- I have started on this new journey and will become better with practice.
- Identifying and working with small actions and the next immediate steps are easy for me and could see the benefits.
Small Actions
- Think about one area of life where you wanted to do something but are postponing for some reason.
- For the area above, what could be that small action and next immediate step you can take?
- Take a complex project (office or personal) and find out the small actions and next immediate step.
- Help one-person design three small actions and the next immediate next steps in any area of their life.