Small Actions, Huge((h)yo͞oj) Impact

Small Actions, Huge((h)yo͞oj) Impact

By Leo Babauta

Most people get hung(həNG) up because(-ˈkəz,biˈkôz) of a few reasons(ˈrēzən):

A task or project is too intimidating(inˈtimiˌdāt)/overwhelming(ˌōvərˈ(h)welmiNG), so they put it off(äf,ôf).

Sticking(stik) to new habits(ˈhabit) is hard, so they fail(fāl) after a week or two.

Life becomes overwhelming, because there’s so much to do, so many choices(CHois).

The problems(ˈpräbləm) with these common situations(ˌsiCHo͞oˈāSHən) is that we take the big picture(ˈpikCHər), the overwhelming nature(ˈnāCHər) of it all, and use it as a reason to not do anything.

Instead(inˈsted), I’ve found it useful to pick(pik) one tiny(ˈtīnē) action. It can change everything.

Some examples:

I have too much to do right now, I’m overwhelmed — so I do one tiny thing. I just start a task. I just move a project along in the smallest way. I just make a list. Something that takes a minute(ˈminit) or two — I can do that!

I’ve fallen(ˈfôlən) off a habit I was trying(ˈtrī-iNG) to start, such as meditation(ˌmedəˈtāSHən) or exercise(ˈeksərˌsīz) … and it’s causing me to not want to even think about the habit. So I just do the smallest version(ˈvərZHən) of the habit — can I pause for a few moments and meditate(ˈmedəˌtāt) right now? Can I do a few pushups? This gets the ball rolling(ˈrōliNG), and now the habit doesn’t seem that difficult(ˈdifikəlt). I just keep starting again, in small ways.

I’ve been putting off a project, and I feel pretty bad about it — so I just do one small thing with the project, and now I feel a lot better. All of a sudden(ˈsədn), I can get the project moving with small movements, small victories(ˈvikt(ə)rē).

Each of these examples(igˈzampəl) is so simple, so tiny — and yet their impact is bigger than most people realize(ˈrē(ə)ˌlīz). The action is small, but the impact is huge. The victory(ˈvikt(ə)rē) might seem trifling(ˈtrīf(ə)liNG), but it’s actually(ˈakCHo͞oəlē) a profound(prō-,prəˈfound) shift(SHift).

What are you stalling(stôl) on? What are you overwhelmed by? What can you take a tiny action on right now?

Get an infinitesimal(ˌinfiniˈtes(ə)məl) victory(ˈvikt(ə)rē) now, and see what it changes for you.