Just take the next step.
Read time: 1 min 30 secs
I've been in a dark place lately.
Feeling empty and depressed.
Nothing excites me, not even doing nothing or indulging in any kind of passive entertainment.
It deeply bothers me that I don't have a big motivating goal or a clear long-term vision.
I don't quite know what's next.
I read books, travelled the world, talked to people and browsed the internet, hoping to find something interesting or inspiring, but everything felt painfully boring and repetitive.
And then this thought came to mind:
"You're thinking too big. Think smaller."
While it's true that having a big, long-term goal helps guide small tasks, sometimes we simply don't have one.
It can take time to find a goal that truly resonates with us. In the meantime, we need to be humble enough to pause, look inward, and ask ourselves:
"What's the smallest, most obvious step I can take right now?"
And then take that step.
From there, you take another step.
Before you know it, you've gained some momentum.
By taking enough small actions, you inevitably start gaining clarity about what you want to focus on in the long term.
It all starts by asking yourself:
"What's the smallest, most obvious step I can take right now?"
And then taking it.
Because there’s no need to see the whole path ahead before you begin walking it.
Sincerely,
Ash Lamb
(209 of 500 words)
P.S. I wrote this email two weeks ago. I applied this approach, and now I feel much better. Hopefully, it'll work for you too when you need it to.
P.P.S. A friend I made that week asked me for guidance, and this was my response to her message—perfect timing for us.
P.P.P.S. You do not know how grateful I am to have you as a subscriber. I get so much joy from writing these emails. So thank you for being on the receiving end. You make all the difference.
P.P.P.P.S. Here's to making the most of the year ahead. I have a strong feeling this will be an amazing year for you. You're subscribed to a newsletter for people looking to grow, and God favours those who are willing to grow.
✣ ✣ ✣
Feel free to reply—I respond to everyone.
Thank you. I’ve spent the last 11 months beating myself up for choices I made in 2022-23, choices that I’ve believed had a huge impact on what I can do now. I can see, on some level, what caused me to eschew a few opportunities that could’ve made my today easier, but there’s no way of knowing how that would’ve changed the choices that came later. Really, all I can do is make a new choice. And, that choice involves being kinder to myself. (That was my resolution for 2024, by the way, while my … theme, I’d guess you’d call it, was silence. Both have been more challenging than I expected.) I had a couple goals for 2024, both involving small steps. B/c I’ve been on this path, before, I could see that. But I lacked confidence and motivation to carry them out because I felt that I’d failed. What was the point, pessimism complained, if I couldn’t carry through on the simplest tasks, even those that seemed to be the clearest way forward?
It didn’t help that I was grieving the deaths of friends and a step-parent (and subsequent loss of family and community) that weren’t the source of support they’d once been.
At least, all that is what I told myself. In the past 24 hours, however, I’ve reminded myself of all I learned, this year. I still hope to publish my book and release the music, but I’m not sure how I’ll pay for all the legal and logistical steps on the way. I need a way to pay for it all, and I’ve felt stuck on that aspect.
Perhaps, my small step involves letting go of the judgment and embracing whatever Life or God has in store for me. A part of me wants to just chuck it all and start fresh. Another truly wants to see this through. I don’t want to miss out on what’s on the other side of the bend because I was too busy looking at last year’s map to look up and see the detour.
Heck, maybe THIS is the detour.
Either way, I keep praying and opening myself to the next big step. And that involves sending this comment so I can go do my yoga. Doing all I can to make it in time to a burning bowl ceremony (for releasing what no longer serves). Wrapping up my exit from an online platform where I’ve composed and sold my music so I can have more control over how I create and sell what I create.
My apologies for my rambling reply. I haven’t meditated yet. Thanks again for posting! S
I agree sometimes we zoom out too much that we overlook the action steps. When everyone else is talking about setting big goals for 2025, your article is a fresh take, and very inspring!