Small steps method
The small steps method involves dividing the change into small actions that can be realistically implemented despite resistance.
Definition
Small steps reduce the entry threshold, support a sense of effectiveness and help build regularity. They are not a surrender of ambition, but a way to avoid the paralysis caused by too big a goal. Their power increases through repetition and context.
Key ideas
- Low entry threshold
- Sense of effectiveness
- Regularity instead of bursts
Practice and life
Choose a goal and reduce the first step to a two-minute version: open a document, put on your shoes, read one page.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to consider a small step too small to matter. The second mistake is increasing difficulty before stability occurs.
> A small step is modest only from the outside.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What step is small enough that I can take it today?
- What blocks the start?
- How do I repeat this step in the same context?