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One Step

Depending on your source, new businesses that fail within their first twelve months range from 20% to 90%. My own observations over the years (I have no solid data to back this) is that these failures are not from a lack of skill but from a lack of business-sense and of infra-structure. 

So here I am with my own start-up, and of course, I want it to succeed, but I'm a writer, an editor, and an HR professional. I'm not a small business owner.

Oh wait.

Yes, I am.

Last week, I spent a fair amount of time networking and learning about the business side of things. By Thursday evening, it's fair to say that I was a tad overwhelmed. 

I had listened, processed, and absorbed as much as I could. It felt like I had walked into a dense forest. Trees grew closely together and leaves scattered the ground. I could no longer see the path. I looked up. I looked around. Nothing but trees and leaves. Tall and beautiful and amazing in their brilliant fall colors but so many of them! 

I froze. I didn't pause. I didn't just stop to take a breath before moving on. I froze solid as an ice cube in Antarctica.

That's when my kind and patient husband reminded me (again) that I don't have to do everything all at once. I simply have to take one step. Lift up my foot, set it down a few inches - or millimeters if that's all I can do - from where it was in the direction of my goal. That's it.

Tomorrow I'll do it again.

And then again.

And again.

And in the wisdom of a young Kris Kringle, soon I'll "be walking out the door."

Life is chockful of decisions to make and goals to achieve. It might be as mundane as your dinner menu or as exciting as a new job or home or city or relationship. Whatever it is, break it down. You don't have to arrive at your destination in one giant leap. Pick up your foot. Put it down just a wee bit away in the right direction. As Emily P. Freeman says, do the next right thing. 

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