How to stay ONE step ahead?

“Lead, kindly light…

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distance scene; one step enough for me.”  — Church Hymn

One step is enough. It is the only necessary part of the journey you can cover at one time. Pray for guidance to see no more but one step. You want to see through further, but all you need is one step.

Lao Tzu, a famous Taoist master, says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” One step at a time, and then next and then another, pushes you toward the goal—and, one day, you arrive.

Worry only about the first one. Then you see the next—and so you move ahead. Placing one foot before another creates enough thrust and power to achieve any goal imaginable.

John C. Maxwell, the leadership coach, observes: “The goal in life is not to live forever. The goal is to create something that does.” You will leave the world one day, but your goal—your legacy—lives on. Generations after you will remember you from your work. They’ll recognize you with your creation. So, create my friend, create. And, as we learned, a straightforward step is all you need. One step is all you need to take.

With that now, let us learn how you can take one prime step. And how you can be one step ahead. As mentioned in a Greek Proverb, “The beginning is half of every action.”

Well begun is half done, we hear—but the question remains:

How to begin?

We have a hard time beginning. We don’t know how to start. Our hands and minds freeze in terror as we grab the pen or step up on that platform. Our heart misses a beat when we begin something new. Some call it “writer’s block,” while others say it is “facing a blank wall.” Scientists call it “the law of inertia,” whereas philosophers call it a “mental block.”

Either way, it is not easy to begin. All sorts of demons lurking inside us (in our minds) who circle us as we begin something. And now we know that one step is enough. James Clear, author of the famous book “Atomic Habits,” says that once you begin something (anything for that matter), you are more likely to complete it and prevail till the end. If you don’t begin law of inertia comes into play.

So, my friends, let me open my secret box and share with you some practical tips to stay one magical step ahead. No matter what, you begin before you arrive.

1) Start before starting:

Reach before the specified time and start. Jump right in. Thinking about something takes more time than taking that first step. Start before the clock ticks and throw yourself right in. The more you think, the less your chances of starting it.

2) Begin a day before: 

Tackle tomorrow’s task today. Say, there is something to be done tomorrow. Okay. Now ask: 

Do I have all the information necessary to complete that task/activity/goal?

If the answer is yes, you are better off. Do it today. No one has ever seen that mysterious day known as “tomorrow,” for it never actually comes.

Espejismo, my friend, illusione. Do not believe in magic which is promised for the future. The magic begins right here—when you take that first daunting step.

3) Complete one and start another:

We tend to take a break or pause any activity as soon as we finish a chapter or reach a logical end. If you were reading a book, and as soon as you see that last period on the last paragraph, followed by a blank page, you take a deep breath and close the book. “I’m done,” and off you go. 

But you don’t know that you’re leaving yourself in a no-decision-zone again. You’re handing over your charge to that brilliant enemy of professional artists that Steven Pressfield famously refers to as “Resistance” in his bestseller book, “The War of Art.”

So what to do?

Take a step further and begin the next one. Finish one—begin another. Time your breaks in between chapters and not at chapter endings. I illustrated the tip with a reading example, but you can apply it to anything you do.

4) 2 Minute rule:

First established by David Allen in his lovely productivity book, “Getting Things Done,” this rule is a magic trick. It aims to beat procrastination and help you accomplish small tasks quickly. 

Here’s the rule: “If you can do an action in 2 minutes or less, tackle it at that moment—and don’t delay.”  David says further, “it would take far more energy and effort to capture the task, clarify it, organize it, reflect upon and then finally engage in it. It’s simply not worth your time.”

The trick, he says, is to do it now.

With these tips, you should have no issues in being up ahead, front and center.

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