Do The Smallest Thing

Read a word. Write a word. Take a step.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

There are days, weeks, months when we are not at our best.

Hell, maybe even years.

Times when merely existing is taxing enough.

But not obvious enough to our brain, which demands productivity at its finest.

Perfectionism is loud, and cold, and distant. Shooting for the moon is fine if you are fine landing among the stars.

And let me tell you that, perfectionism is not cool with the above. It's either the moon or nothing. Could you guess which one?

Often in our attempts to achieve a lot, we manage to do absolutely nothing.

We set ourselves unrealistic goals which don’t align with where we are at the moment.

No one can get off the couch and run a marathon just like that. Subconsciously we know it, hence we keep sitting on the couch.

“Who loves a faulty human?”, we think to ourselves. Things need to be big and shiny and impressive because, in this way, you definitely stand out. And there's no disputing that.

What we should be disputing though is why do we feel lovable only when our achievements pile up in an impressive way? Why not without? That's the real question to work on.

Whether I wrote a word today, or ten thousand, I should love myself the same.

We all have to start somewhere. And often, right as we are gaining big momentum, life stops us. For one reason or another, for occurrences big and small.

And then the best we can do is start again as if we are doing this for the very first time.

Not as if we are picking right where we left off. No, contrary to what we like to say, most things you cannot pick right where you left off.

Most things, you go back to them as a beginner. You might get to advanced way faster this time around but don't expect it of yourself after a hiatus.

Perfectionism will have you think you've already achieved a certain level, and you've lost so much time and progress, so you better go right back at it and be the best you've ever been.

Then you don't allow yourself time to warm up and end up even worse off than before.

Don’t torture yourself shooting for the moon when you barely have the energy to get off the couch.

Do the smallest thing possible.

Make an experiment. Was it just one word, just one push-up, just one dish, one minute walk, one step?

Most of the time, it wouldn't be.

But for the time it is, hold space for yourself.

You achieved your goal and you should feel proud. And more confident about your tomorrow - you've already made the first step, as small as it was.

Tomorrow you are not starting from square one.

No, tomorrow you will be the witness of progress.

As small as it might be, it will fuel you for the next word, for the next step.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao Tzu