The Power of Taking the Next Small Step

The simple technique that can take you from stuck and burned-out to busy and thriving

Ambition is an ironic thing.

It’s the jet fuel that powers all big dreams, propelling us out of bed in the morning and inspiring us to go after our goals.

But ambition can also have the opposite effect, inflating our goals to an overwhelming magnitude, making us feel small and stuck. It’s like looking at the peak of Everest from Base Camp. The climb seems impossible…and foolish to even try.

From this mindset, every setback becomes a crushing blow. Every misstep a major catastrophe. It’s how a person can go from bright-eyed to burned-out in no time flat. This is where way too many entrepreneurs throw in the towel and give up their dreams as too big, too difficult, and too daring.

I’ve seen it happen again and again. Including to myself.

But there’s a technique for getting over it and getting back to business.

Taking the next small step. Whatever it is.  

Making the phone call. Sending the email. Scheduling the meeting.  

It may seem simple, but there’s tremendous power in just putting one foot in front of the other. In taking consistent small actions to get a little bit better every day. 

This approach is sometimes known as building micro-habits, and it’s actually nothing new. Ralph Waldo Emerson gave voice to this simple but powerful wisdom all the way back in the 19th century when he wrote:

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.”

In other words, the more you do something, the better you get at it.

Over time, those small everyday wins snowball into bigger and bigger outcomes. They’re what build businesses far more often (and far more reliably) than big gambles or strokes of luck.  

So, if you’re feeling stuck or not sure what’s next?

Just focus on the next small step.

Then do it again. And again. And again.

Before you know it, the mountaintop will be within reach, and ambition will be the force pushing you forward, rather than holding you back.