Even Baby Steps Are Hard

I wrote last week about how we shouldn’t be all like “How is February 1st tomorrow?! Is 2013 going to go by this fast?! I FEEL LIKE I GOT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING DONE!”

… Well, I’ll be totally honest, I’m kind in one of those funks this week. There’s nothing wrong with getting into funks, frustrations, and bad moods now and then. I think it means that you want more, that you have something to fight for, that you have what it takes to work hard and kick butt! But what you have to do is use all of that energy and use it to be productive, to be awesome, and to work hard.

And that’s really hard to do.

TRUST ME! I know how hard it is.

Here’s how I’m feeling now:

Things have been super slow for me the past few months, but now suddenly I have a new job, I’m teaching a photography class two days a week, I have Show & Tell to keep up, a photography business to promote, I have my young adult ministry on Wednesdays, thinking about Project HOPE every day, and I’m giving up social media for 40 days starting February 13 (another blog on that on Sunday). Basically, I have a lot going on. I really need to change things up.

So how am I going to change things up?

With baby steps.

My first step is to get up earlier. It sounds simple, but this is the hardest step for me. I love sleeping. I’m really good at sleeping. When I sleep, I sleep like a rock. I actually slept through all of Hurricane Irene and woke up thinking, “Some hurricane, it didn’t even do anything…” only to look out the window to trees fallen over and no electricity for a week. I think you get the idea. So for me to get up early every day is going to be tough… But it’s necessary.

My next few steps will be no computer after 8:00pm, my iPhone gets turned off and left downstairs at night, and writing out all my tasks for each day.

It may sound simple, and really they are… But even baby steps are hard. 

Have you ever seen a baby just stand up and walk across the room perfectly on their first try?

No.

They start by pulling themselves up, then they fall down. Then they do it again, wiggle a few times, then they fall down. Then they hold someone’s hand for a step, then they fall down. They repeat this process over and over and over, fall down again and again and again… But eventually, they’re able to stand up on their own and slowly walk from one parents to the other.

Baby steps may seem simple, but even baby steps are hard.

So with each one of your baby steps, go slowly. When you “fall down” don’t give up, don’t condemn yourself. Try again. If you need to rest, then rest. If you need some help, then ask for it.

Right now I want you to figure out what baby steps you need to take. Even if it is one baby step, I want you to write it out, post it where you will see it every day, and work on it.

Just remember… Even baby steps are hard. But soon enough, you’ll be running across that floor like it’s your job!

What’s your first baby step?

PS // Thanks to my awesome Mom for telling me to blog about this on Monday… Even though I’m just getting around to blogging it now. Totally one of those, “No I don’t want to blog about that…” insert rolling eyes here that turned into, “Yeah… She’s right… yet again…” moments. 🙂 I love you!