Like many of you, I have an ambitious list of things I’d like to accomplish. Some are small and don’t require much energy. Some, however, seem so large that it’s not as obvious how they will get done. This can be overwhelming because there are so many choices for moving ahead. A lot of thinking goes into these goals. For many of us, that thinking can zap our energy. At other times, it energizes us.

At some point, though, for anything to happen, action needs to occur. This often begins with the next step. That forward movement can provide the momentum needed to propel us closer to our goal.

So right now, what is the one thing you’d like to accomplish? Whatever its size, try to determine your next step. Don’t worry if you don’t know all the steps. It’s OK to figure that out as you go. This is especially important because you’ll most likely need to make adjustments and be flexible along the way. Also, if you get too detailed at the beginning, that detail could paralyze you and keep you from taking action.

Just have enough of an idea of what you’re moving towards. Then pick one thing to bring you closer to that goal. See what happens when you do that. Keep going with the next step, the next, and then another. Before you know it, you’ll be entrenched in the pursuit of your goal. You’ll learn as you go and make new decisions along the way. You are no longer just thinking. You are now taking action.

As Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.”

Life is all about moments big and small. Sometimes the events are so small and fleeting that we don’t recognize them as significant. We don’t always stop to appreciate them or even understand how those small, seemingly, non-events play an important part in something larger. At other times, we become acutely aware of the role those tiny actions make in bringing us to that one giant goal we seek.

For me, the process of accomplishing a large goal usually starts with two things: a thought and a list. Now I don’t know about you, but I love making lists. I use them to help me remember the simple things like “Buy milk, cereal and toilet paper” to the more complex and long term items such as “Write a book.” I rely on my various lists to remind and guide me through life. If any of you are list makers, I’m sure you will appreciate that one of the most satisfying parts of completing an item from the list is grabbing a nice, thick pen and energetically crossing the item off. Done!  Aaahhh. Even though I know that new items will pop-up the moment one thing is crossed off, I am never discouraged. This is just a fact of life. If you are living, there will always be things to do and accomplish. That’s a good thing.

On my “Master To Do List,” that resides prominently on my desk, one item remained on the list for years. It said, “Write organizing book.”  Every time I’d update the list, I’d carry over this particular item year after year. That thought might horrify some of you. But the truth is that certain things take time to accomplish. Any big project or change includes many small steps and commitments.

Something different happened in 2009. At the beginning of the year, I decided that this one reoccurring item would be accomplished before the year’s end. The time had come to commit the resources and energy needed to complete this goal.  Over the years, there had been a lot of preparation and research. Do you remember those small actions I mentioned earlier? Many actions took place along the way to help me reach my big goal.

So the other day, when my first boxes of books arrived, I decided it was time to pick up a pen and cross “Write organizing book” off my list!  As I drove the red felt tip through those words, it almost felt surreal that the book was actually finished, printed and in my hands. What followed were a sigh, a smile and some joyful tears.