One step at a time

My oldest son has taken up distance biking this past year. It reduces his stress levels and is keeping him fit and healthy. He participated in a 90-mile race recently and told me he felt "awesome" afterward. He said he was in the race to "complete it, not to compete." He had set a goal and met it—and though he was exhausted after the race, he was jazzed and energized.

I once asked him how he kept going on his 60- or 80-mile biking excursions, especially in the face of high heat or strong wind. He said, "I set small goals. I urge myself to just get to the top of the hill or to the next tree. And when I get to that goal, I urge myself on with the next goal: one more hill, one more tree to pass."

That's a good way to approach life, isn't it? Rather than looking at the huge mountain of work ahead, take one small bit at a time. Several small steps add up to something big.

Do you have something looming large in your life? A career or relationship issue? A health challenge? Losing weight or starting an exercise program? Start small. Feel the success of that. Then pick another small step. In time you will feel "awesome" just like my son. You will know the infusion of energy that success brings!