What if we went small instead of big?

Go big or go home!

You've probably heard that saying. Many times.

I get that it's trying to push us to do our very best, give our all, and reach for the stars. But, frankly, I'm a little tired of it!

The yelling voices of do more, be more, ring loud; I want to tell them shut up (except I tell my kids not to say that, so I probably shouldn't say it either!).

What would our lives look like if we went small instead of big?

What if we focused on mastering the small things and paid attention to the little details?

What if we didn't try to do it all, but instead, aimed to do a few things well?

How would our lives be different?

There's nothing wrong with setting lofty goals. But focusing on the goal itself, isn't what will cause you to achieve it. Breaking goals into small steps is what will get you there.

Last year I discovered that aiming to do things perfectly was actually detrimental to achieving my goals and finding any lasting change. I found that most success comes when I strive to do a little better. To work on small improvements and allow them to accumulate over time.

I had to come to terms with the fact that there will be days of failure and these must be expected. But those are not days to give up completely, instead I must treat myself with compassion and move forward, ever so slowly.

I hope you read that last line and caught this part: compassion.

Please treat yourself with compassion. We all need that from ourselves.

You don't have to set lofty goals in order to focus on the small things. Without even knowing it, your attention to the small things will actually lead to bigger things. Not big as the world sees, but big in the thing that matters so much more: a life well lived. 

“Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than the things that are removed and uncommon.”
– Booker T. Washington

Focusing in the small things grounds me. It gives me strength and joy in daily living.

This year I'm going small. 

Want to join me?