The term “baby steps” may seem laughable, yet it’s worthy of our attention. The smallest increment of movement is still movement. Bigger changes in our lives, whether it is our employment, our housing, our relationships, our health – these take time to build momentum and make the changes we seek, much less make them sustainable.
As I’ve deepened my project management practice while pursuing my PMP certification this summer, I’ve discovered something unexpected: the principles that guide successful projects are the same ones that guide spiritual growth. Both require faith in processes we can’t fully see, trust in incremental progress, and the wisdom to know that sustainable change happens through consistent, intentional steps rather than dramatic leaps.
Quick Fixes vs. Small Fixes
There’s an old saying: “An inch is a cinch – going a mile, you’re in denial.” I’ve often thought I could take on more than is humanly possible and then wonder why I was overwhelmed. Quick fixes and small fixes are not the same thing. Quick fixes bypass the foundation-building that real change requires. Small fixes, however, are about creating sustainable momentum that honors both our vision and our capacity.
Thinking big, long-term, and visionary comes naturally to me, and it’s been a long journey to become grounded in the present – in those crucial A → B movements that actually get us where we want to go. Beyond meeting the immediate demands of my days, weeks, and months, making progress on building my systems in a way that’s woven into my other rhythms remains challenging.
If you feel like you can see a long-term vision but aren’t sure where to begin, here is a consideration for you from my heart to yours.
Plant a Seed: A Framework for Sacred Planning
Ask for discernment: What action does this require of me?
Assess your environment: What do I need to set into motion for this to be possible? How is my environment supporting my vision or not? How can I make space within my life, and the environment I live within, to foster alignment with my vision?
Release what no longer serves: What am I holding onto that is no longer serving me as it once was? What would it look like to lovingly let go, stop grasping, or otherwise release the patterns and tendencies that feel heavy?
Identify your support systems: Can I identify pillars of support that I can lean on as I am changing, knowing that it will feel uncomfortable to enter into a zone of unfamiliarity and not have what I’m used to relying on?
The Ripple Effect
The beauty of small steps is that each motion sends out ripples of momentum through our lives. We can count on this, despite the fact that we rarely get to perceive what the full impact of our actions are. This is what faith is made of – being able to trust that the work we are setting into motion is taking us to a better place than we are now, perhaps better than we can yet perceive.
Small steps make it easier to adjust to what’s unfamiliar and could feel threatening. Change may feel threatening to the parts of us that are clinging to a way of life, even if it is suffocating. My whole self has been calling out for room to breathe, even while parts of me want you to think things can stay the same. We are part of a larger ecosystem that is constantly changing – it’s a tragedy that embracing change is as hard as it is.
In Part 2 of this series, I’ll explore how to build the trust needed to act before we feel ready, especially when external circumstances make faith feel challenging. For now, what seed are you being called to plant?
In partnership with two heart-centered leaders I met through a transformative learning experience, we’re co-creating a community of practice called the Nurtured Roots Guild, where we explore building the foundation of our lives together.
Learn more about the Nurtured Roots Guild: lindalanoue.com/community
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