The Magic of Little Steps and the four letter ‘J’ word

So often I see students – and Life Coaches and Educators too! – try to accomplish the task in one big step. Whether it’s to study for the test, write the paper, learn the material, launch the career, design the curriculum, it’s like trying to constantly throw the long ball or hit a home-run every swing. 

People do the same thing when we’re listening to others describe a problem. The natural human impulse is to jump in and solve it right away. You can hear the responses… 

“Have you thought of that?” 

“What about this?” 

Which usually leads to… 

‘You just need to…” 

Just used to mean those little steps, but now it’s come to mean taking that one, big, huge step that just needs to be finished. 

What goes unnoticed and under-appreciated are the little steps. Over time those little steps lead to the big breakthrough. 

It’s setting up the study skills to become an outstanding student in the long run versus cramming for a test this week. 

The real problem – and this goes for Life Coaches for teenagers and everyone else for that matter – is developing the patience to follow-through on the little steps. 

Patience is where the magic is found.

Also read: How schools mimic large companies that resist creativity