Small Steps, Big Results

Stack the odds in your favor when reaching for your dreams, one deliberate step at a time.

Having a business can sometimes feel overwhelming + paralyzing. The danger is to burn out (run out of energy) & to become indifferent to our aspirations (dwindling passion + interest).

To deem a problem “serious” will increase our stress level. That’s good if you know exactly what to do & you’re very competent. But if you’re learning as you go (isn’t that the definition of entrepreneurship?!), situations that feel critical will make you less open to new ideas, less grounded in the present context, unimaginative & less adaptable. And that’s just if the problem is clearly defined – if the solution is vague, it becomes intangible, ungraspable & even more disempowering (sorry).

I’ve certainly felt this way in the past & it led me to taking terrible decisions in an attempt to stop what I thought was a procrastination problem. The stress of the urgency of the situation made me panic, I couldn’t think clearly & everything seemed warped. I lost my connection to my center & my ability to make aligned decisions.

So I seeked people that promised answers, & although they rarely were what I needed, doing their programs unstuck me because it gave me small wins that helped restore my hope, my self-belief & my sense of control.

According to Karl E. Weick, “a small win is a concrete, complete, implemented outcome of moderate importance” & each win dynamically changes reality – thus, it’s pointless to plan too carefully how several small wins will lead to a bigger one, as there’s no way of telling how each will transform the next moment.

This is what being led looks like.

We take one step at a time & make a new decision from that new standpoint, not before.

So how do you choose your small wins? Your goal has to be clear (not just an onboarding email sequence, but a 5-part email sequence building up to selling a specific offer & increasing revenue by x%), something you’re excited to tackle (it’s not too easy nor too hard) & that you can start right away (so that you can use the momentum generated by your enthusiasm + inspiration).

If you still feel overwhelmed, lower the stakes. Feeling that something is crucial to success will terrify you. If you can think “this is no big deal, that’s all that needs to be done & I can do at least that”, you’ll feel more creative, purposeful & motivated.

And if we fail at our small goal? At least the stakes weren’t huge, we can recover more easily & keep our perspective. We won’t spiral down into helplessness – we’ll learn from the experience & adjust our strategy.

We make our best decisions from this clear-headed position, a sweet spot between vision, empowerment & optimism. Our marketing funnel needs to support this vibe if we’re to speak to our ideal clients. Our operations need to reflect our boundaries against enabling drama or triggering stress.

I started manifesting my goals in a very joyful + inspired way when I let myself release expectations, take pleasure in the next step & be open to synchronicities ✨

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Now I want to know:

What’s the next small win you could begin today, that’d bring you joy + purpose?

Marie xo