One Inch at a TimeThe Just One Thing series is intended to provoke action in pursuit of goals.

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“What you see depends not only on what you look AT, but also, on where you look from.” –James Deacon

Think for a moment about that unrealized dream you put a shelf in your mental closet, waiting for “someday” when the timing is right. Is it writing the book you know you have in you? Is it going back to school for that next degree (or for your first degree)? Is it learning to play an instrument, learning a new language, starting a business or changing careers? Or, is it earning that next promotion or moving from one role into a role that matches your work with your superpower?

Our goals and big dreams often are rudely shoved out of the way in favor of the urgent issues of life as well as those activities we deem more easily achievable. Some are abandoned due to the mirage of size and complexity. “It’s too big for me to accomplish.” Or, “I’m not sure how I would even get started.”

We make excuses for ourselves, mostly, because we don’t know how to fight what author Steven Pressfield calls resistance. This nefarious quality is present in all of us. It manifests around things we care about. Our diet. Our weight. Our goals. Left to its own designs, resistance inserts itself into every important situations in our life and revels in our failures. Its greatest victories are when we fail to even get started.

Just One ThingWhatever your big dream is, the only way to truly, profoundly fail on all levels is to fail to try. This means, you have to get started. You have to find a way to grab resistance and pin it to the ground or shove it rudely into the corner. Motion beats resistance every time. Actions shove resistance back into the corner where it cowers in fear of its own failure—of its inability to derail you from something important.

But, you can’t even think about beating resistance without getting started.

The punch line to the old joke, “What’s the best way to eat an elephant?” offers more truth than humor. The answer: “One bite at a time.”

The people leading our biggest corporate initiatives long ago learned to break big visions down into small component pieces and then work on them one at a time. Some plan all of the pieces out ahead of time, and then sequence them and get started. Many others operate with a clear end goal, but focus on the bite in front of them and then pause, assess and determine where to take the next bite from in pursuit of this vision.

Much like my work in moving from the world’s worst, slowest runner to my goal of running a half marathon next Spring, the only way I’m getting there is by putting the time into the hard work of training and conditioning. Running, lifting, interval training, managing my diet are all part of my daily routine and it’s a battle. The first steps were painful and humbling. Now, I’m halfway to the goal and feeling great. I’ve got resistance on the ropes for this one and I will win.

So can you.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Ultimately, you’re the only one who can decide whether you’ll capitulate to resistance or fight back and win. The resistance is inside of you. So is success. Just take it one bite, one step and one action at a time.

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Art Petty serves senior executives and management teams as a performance coach and strategy facilitator. Art is a popular keynote speaker focusing on helping professionals and organizations learn to survive and thrive in an era of change. Additionally, Art’s books are widely used in leadership development programs. To learn more or discuss a challenge, contact Art.