Thinking Big, Starting Small

greyscale photography of concrete stairways

As I have mentioned before, our society is enamored by the smash hit and the overnight success. We like to see the big payoff. Furthermore, we’ve been told to “go big or go home.” This is quite evident in the movies we like and the reality TV shows we watch. It’s America, we like big!

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, many people have forgotten that starting small is not the same as thinking small. Big dreams can, and sometimes must, begin with little steps. It may be cliché, but the journey of a thousand miles really does begin with a single stride.

When we forget this, we allow the sheer magnitude of a goal or a dream to overwhelm us. This can intimidate us into never even embarking on that journey. Or it tricks us into taking unnecessary short-cuts to speed up the process.

Don’t be afraid to start small. Going slowly in the right direction is far better than any speed in the wrong direction.

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