Those hard things you’re struggling with don’t have to feel so overwhelming. Any task or challenge you’re dealing with can be broken down into smaller more manageable actions to get you closer to your goal.
Today, I want to talk about baby steps- consistently taking baby steps toward your goals.
I would like to share that I am a person in a perpetual state of overwhelm.
Yes, me. I have come to understand in my adult life that my brain is a motor that never turns off. My brain is always running. If I’m watching a movie, it’s running. If I’m driving in my car, it’s running. If I’m having a conversation with someone, it’s running.
So, any sort of perceived chaos sends my brain into overdrive.
I look around my house at all the things not in their place, and alarm bells go off in my brain- my 14 year old’s dirty socks on the living room floor, the unfolded blankets on the couch, the crumbs on the counter from this morning’s everything bagel, the bag of too small baby clothes that has yet to find its way to the closet.
But, in a house of 5, I would go mad trying to keep everything in its place. I can’t do it all and I chose not to do it all. I started making a conscious decision that I am going to put my energy elsewhere.
But let’s be real, I still have work to do around this house. I spend the majority of my days celebrating Groundhog’s Day. You know, that Bill Murray movie where he experiences the same day over and over and over again. Yeah, that’s my life as stay at home mom.
But I have big dreams for this house of mine. I have visions, you know?
So in between the dishes and the vacuuming and the laundry and the feeding, I pick something.
One thing.
I pick something I can do to move me toward the place I want to be.
Some days it’s one counter. Yes, just clearing off this small area can be an accomplishment and make me feel successful for the day.
Some days it’s a whole room. Maybe the top of a dresser. Maybe it’s putting away that one basket of laundry that is still sitting in the living room.
Last week, I tackled the area behind the couch I’ve been dying to transform into a legitimately usable space for winter coats- FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, ha! I’ve been sitting on this project for a year and a half!
Before that it was a mess of overflowing baskets, a clutter collecting bench and poorly utilized freestanding shelves. I feel like a new, organized, better version of myself when I look at that corner now.
This week, I removed a baker’s rack from my dining room that was not doing much more than collecting junk.
Does the dining room feel empty to me? Absolutely.
Is it an incredible feeling? Like you wouldn’t believe.
Each time I look at one of these areas, I feel lighter. My mind slows down a bit. I feel calm.
Now maybe you don’t struggle with household stuff like I do.
You can certainly apply this strategy to your own life.
Do you struggle with fitness? Set a goal to take a 5 or 10 minute walk every day this week.
Self care, maybe? Follow through with a good night time routine and brush your teeth and wash your face before you go to bed.
Setting boundaries with people? Maybe you can clearly state a boundary to someone you’ve had difficulty doing that with.
Not engaging enough with your family? Maybe this week you can put your phone in another room for the first 30 minutes after you get home and engage in conversation with your family.
What in your life seems too overwhelming to tackle?
What are the baby steps you can take today?
It will look differently for each of you. This week challenge yourself to take a baby step. Decide what area in your life you’d like to make some progress, but have been struggling to take any action. Evaluate what baby step you can implement this week to put you closer to your goal.
You can climb a mountain if you put enough baby steps together!
