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Small actions, huge impact

Richard Lemon
Richard Lemon
1 min read

The problems with these everyday situations are that we take the big picture, the overwhelming nature of it all, and use it not to do anything.

Instead, I’ve found it useful to pick one tiny action. It can change everything.

Standing on a sheer ledge 3,200 feet above Yosemite Valley, looking at this vista, one can’t help but be in awe. It reminds you of what’s really important.
Photo by Jason Hogan / Unsplash

Some examples:

  1. I have too much to do right now, I’m overwhelmed — so I do one tiny thing. I start a task. I move a project along in the smallest way. I make a list. Something that takes a minute or two — I can do that!
  2. I’ve fallen off a habit I was trying to start, such as meditation or exercise, and it’s causing me not to want to even think about the practice. So I do the smallest version of the habit — can I pause for a few moments and meditate right now? Can I do a few pushups? This gets the ball rolling, and now the habit doesn’t seem that difficult. I keep starting again in small ways.
  3. I’ve been putting off a project, and I feel pretty bad about it — so I do one little thing with the project, and now I feel a lot better. All of a sudden, I can get the plan moving with small movements, small victories.

Each of these examples is so simple, so tiny — and yet their impact is more significant than most people realize. The action is small, but the effect is enormous. The victory might seem trivial, but it’s a profound shift.

What are you stalling on? What are you overwhelmed by? What can you take a tiny action on right now?

Get a tiny victory now, and see what it changes for you.

Habits

Richard Lemon Twitter

I'm a creative front-end developer from the Netherlands, and this is my blog. I write about code, cycling, quantified self, and everyday life. I'm a proud father of twins.

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