If you’re like me, there’s been times that you’ve told yourself you’re going to do something, but then you find yourself just putting it off. It doesn’t get done.

Sometimes you don’t even start! Days become weeks and sometimes weeks become…months.

I believe that one of the major reasons that we put things off is because we focus too much on creating obstacles that get in our way.

We convince ourselves that it’s too uncomfortable or too much trouble to get started on our goal.

So we hesitate. And we procrastinate. Sometimes, we just overthink it… We make ourselves a victim of “paralysis by analysis.”

Whatever the reason, we short-change ourselves. By not getting started on our goal, we develop feelings of frustration and defeat.

I have found that one of the best ways to break the vicious cycle of not achieving is to make a small commitment and to follow it with a small step.

The most important thing is to get going right now. Don’t wait, just pick a direction, and take that all-important first step. That will help you to gain some momentum.

Let’s take an example that I run into from time to time. Being an expert in the fitness industry, I meet many people who are out of shape and want to do something about it. They’ll tell me that they will join the gym next month and start working out.

They have this vision of themselves going from completely sedentary, to hitting the gym 3-4 times a week.

What they don’t realize is that going to the gym 3-4 times a week is a huge change… and a huge commitment for someone who hasn’t done it before! If they can do it, great. That may be the best way for some people, but not for most.

Most people are better off, by initially making a smaller commitment. Say, going to the gym twice a week, once on a weeknight, and then again on a weekend day. That’s much easier to stick to when they’re just starting out.

This is an example of what I call “thinking small.” When used correctly, thinking small will get you BIG results.

That’s because “thinking small” is really just cutting up your big goals into smaller pieces. Thinking small are the smaller pieces that make up “thinking big.”

The point here is that when undertaking any new goal, you don’t have to make it an “all or nothing” proposition.

You can and should make a decision to ACT today, but it can be a small commitment.

Small commitments that you keep can lead to small successes. And those small successes will help you build your motivation, and encourage you to do more.

When you start to add up all those small successes, you will make real progress, that will build your confidence and desire.

Don’t kill your hopes and dreams because you think about them as being overwhelming. Just think small, and cut those goals into small pieces. And then act. Taking action is the most important thing that you can do. Time is the most valuable resource you have. There’s no better time to do it than today. You can do it!

Yours in health,