The power of small consistent steps
Victoria Seiketso Sethibe | Thursday November 17, 2016 16:39
Buying time can mean pushing tasks aside with the aim of fitting them somewhere into new-year’s resolutions. Piling work up and leaving it for the last minute is called procrastination.
Last minute work does not only compromise quality, but also leads to fatigue and stress.
Although breaking down work into small consistent steps does not always seem appealing in modern day living, many tasks in life are achievable in small steps, such as a few examples explained below:
Eating; eating obviously involves biting food in portions small enough to fit in ones’s mouth before swallowing them. Imagine what would happen if you were to swallow one big gulp of the food on your plate?
You would probably get choked. The same principle can apply when work is done in a few huge rations, causing burn out. Work, just like food or medicine is executed better when done in small consistent steps.
Construction; Those in the construction business understand very well the phrase ‘Rome was not built in one day’. Any form of construction comes in small very important steps, starting with the foundation, followed by assessment and approval before the next stage. It is a process and not one big event.
Travelling; when travelling, it takes time to reach the desired destination. Travelling safely requires taking breaks to refresh along the way, something that requires patience. Sometimes procrastination is caused by lack of instant gratification. Small consistent steps or short term plans, also need to come with rewards in order to avoid boredom. Travelling also involves going past one tree after the other, and sight-seeing a number of both small and big places (unless you are flying). There is a saying that ‘a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.’
Racing; although racing of any kind requires speed, the process that leads to a racing event comes in small, consistent steps. Being fit for a race usually means having gone through early, small and consistent cross- training steps to build fitness required for the race, over a period of time. Some of the consistent steps involved in optimal physical training include; developing the discipline to follow appropriate diet, developing the discipline to go for physical training frequently, developing the mental strength to enter for competitions.
In this case focus, discipline and growth are key to both physical and mental fitness. Undertaking any task effectively also requires focus, discipline and growth.
Raising children; raising children is a process that requires appreciation of small, consistent milestones. Right from conception children grow in small, consistent steps within an average of nine months before they can finally be born. They have no choice but to take close to a year before they can be born. Sometimes having too many mismanaged choices can make people to lose focus and miss out on some important milestones in their lives. Children also take time and persistence to master skills such as;
Sitting; there is a stage when babies are expected to learn how to sit and a whole variety of products are used to aid them master this important skill.
Walking; babies are also inspirational in that they persistently take baby steps before they finally master the skill of walking. What is fascinating about these small people is that they do not give up trying to walk, no matter how many times they fall down. They always rise up and try again. One of the things that make older people give up too soon at times, is the thought that ‘life is too short’ to be dwelling on the same thing and then they start doing nothing to move to the next level.
If you are that type of a learner (and we all are learners) who has a tendency of putting tasks aside for the eleventh hour, you could consider breaking them down into baby steps and persistently follow them for the sake of progress. After all, mastery of any skill comes in small, seemingly insignificant achievements.