With three months left in the year, it’s easy to look at the goals you set in January and wonder, “Is there still time?” Before that little pressure monster takes over, let me tell you about a friend who walked the Camino de Santiago.
I once asked her, “Didn’t the distance feel overwhelming?”
She told me that, on her first trip, she had no idea how far her body could carry her or what the weather would be like. So she dealt with each day as it came. She carried her pack, found a steady rhythm for her breathing and her steps, and stopped in the evening to rest and recharge. The next morning, she set out again.
She didn’t spend every day worrying about how far away the finish line was. As long as she was heading in the right direction, she could focus on the path in front of her. She still had the energy to enjoy the scenery and talk with other travelers. By taking care of herself along the way, she made it one day at a time.
Big goals work much the same way. Atomic Habits explores how small actions add up when we repeat them.
Have a creative project that needs 50 hours of work? Give it one focused hour a day. After 50 days, you’ll have put in those 50 hours. Choose a little reward for yourself when you get there!
Dreaming of writing a 100,000-word book? Write 1,000 words a day, and in 100 days you’ll have 100,000 words for a first draft. You don’t have to carry the weight of the whole book today. Just write today’s 1,000 words.
At work, you might settle one question or finish one page of a proposal. In life, you might make yourself a good meal or go for a walk. When you turn a big goal into something you can do today, the pressure monster gets a little quieter.
Feeling good gives you more room to focus and enjoy the journey. For these last three months of the year, take a breath. Check your direction, take care of yourself, and walk today’s stretch of the road.
