START SMALL.
“As a visionary, you’ve sat back and mentally drawn a picture of everything to be excellent that it becomes hard to accept anything less. Your true definition of the excellence you pictured isn’t syncing with the excellence reality throws at you, so you throw all you’ve pictured into the bin. ”— Precious E. Andrew.
We all at some point had that moment where we spoke about a beautiful idea, an exceptional design, a million dollars worth of business plan, or a transformative writing with our eyes lit. We were certain it was going to be the breakthrough we prayed for; not just for us, but also for the people around us. However, after the excited shouts and plenty of talks, we withdrew to the silent thoughts of- What Ifs? Are you confident? Will it? How would?, and Is it?
The silent thoughts got so loud that the supposedly big limelight became a blown-out candlelight, leaving us to wonder what went south.
The problem isn’t the idea, design, business plan, or writing, it is the gigantic picture-perfect result we’ve created in our head that now looks impossible to handle. We often think that to achieve our big goals, we need to start big. We believe that it has to be that one big splash that will bring the celebratory attention. But what if I told you that the secret to success and the public recognition is actually in starting small?
That’s right, I had to understand that to build a castle, it is easier to get started by clearing the grass and laying the foundation than just yapping about getting it to the roofing stage with nothing in place. When you start small, you create room for everything you want. Simultaneously, you are mentally prepared for new routines, new tasks, new opportunities, new responsibilities, and most assuredly, new networks.
One beautiful thing about starting small is that you truly do not have to worry about all the details. You only just need to focus on taking the first bold step. And once you take that first step, it’s easier to keep going.
Understand that the doctor you trust so much when you are sick to prescribe medicine, was once a medical student. The hectic foundational classes of biochemical molecules, sleepless nights, and clinical trainings were his preparatory steps to becoming certified. Take the knowledge from him, and you’ll have a regular guy who knows nothing about the relationship between cell and genes.
No one really emerged from nowhere, there is always a dot to connect.
Being scared about the plans is inevitable. In fact, it is best to go through the pains of starting small than waking daily to the reminder of being a failure.
Have you pictured yourself to be the best in that field? What’s the first step you need to take?
Truth is, we all never have it figured out, it’s just that first step that separates us. You really do not know whose life you are keeping on hold because you’ve really not started. Probably you would have become that sort-after person, but because you keep holding onto a perfect picture that might never get to pasted on the wall, you impede the next person’s growth.
So you see, it’s best to just start small and see where it leads.
Do let me know when you get started.
