Small Steps That Lead To Big Transformation

In the previous blog post, we talked about dreaming big and having a vision of what you truly want, then explore what kind of person you need to be to get to where you want to be. You may have a pretty clear vision of what you want, where you want to be, but it feels very daunting. Your vision may seem to be so far off from your present reality that it is almost impossible for you to even start thinking of the “how”.

If someone’s goal is to lose eighty pounds, and has a clear version of what that looks like, it may still be difficult to grasp what to do to get there. Your brain will start coming up with scenarios of how in real life, things will not work out the way you want.

Or if you are a physician who is working at least two to three hours extra after seeing your last patient, only to finish all the patient charts and phone calls, going home by 5 pm with all your work done is your dream, but it seems impossible. It happens to other people, not yourself. You tried before and nothing worked. I used to be that physician.

When you set a vision with a goal that seems like a high-reach, or almost impossible to attain, your brain starts to get intimidated. It always tries to get the easy way out, “protect” you from any potential discomfort. How do you bridge that seemingly infinite gap between where you are and where you want to be?

Start by taking small steps. Before doing that, use your imagination. Just as you did for the vision of the future you desire, come up with different ways that will get you to your goal. Take the work efficiency example. Your goal is to save three hours a day. What are some things, if you do consistently every day, will help you do that? Write them down. Brainstorm. They may not all work, but the more ideas the better. For example, list twenty different actions which a physician can take to increase efficiency at work. It may be paying attention to the clock and time yourself the time spent in each patient’s room, doing one thing at a time, minimizing distractions by closing your office door, keeping “do no disturb” as your status on secure messaging, turning off any notifications for personal emails, avoiding social media at work, etc.

After you list them, pick three which you think are most impactful for now and start implementing them every day. For example, although I do not remember what small steps I picked first to do, I would say pick at least one action that trains your mind to think differently. I cannot emphasize enough how you start your day changes everything. Decide how you want your day to be like. What about thinking that today is going to be a manageable day? At first, it may seem weird. It may be uncomfortable. The more you do it consistently, the more natural it becomes, and then it is part of your routine. When you get to the state where it is almost automatic, your day is naturally going to be manageable. This takes consistency. It takes courage to even think about it.

Another action I would pick as one of the first things to do in small steps is turning off the notification for any personal emails or messages. One “ding” can distract you for a while, even if you decide not to look at the message. It takes your brain some time to refocus. Imagine if you have thirty notifications a day – that becomes many minutes of your time wasted. Decide to turn it off, decide to focus on work. The more you do it, the more it will become your habit. This seems to be a small step, but consistently doing it adds minutes of reclaimed time to your day.

You may have other suggestions for yourself. Out of your brainstormed list, pick the few which speak to your pain points the most. Start doing things differently, even if just one thing at a time. If you read ten pages a day, you will eventually finish reading that book. If you keep stretching your limit a little every day, you will go from running zero miles to a marathon. Dream big, believe in your vision and start with small consistent steps. You will make your vision come true.