In times of major transitions, we impatiently want to leap ahead of ourselves and onto the next thing. Often without much thought. In my experience, this rarely works….the best forward movement in these times seems to be by small turtle steps. Remember the tortoise and the hare? Most of us have moved through our lives like that rabbit….hopping along and moving quickly. We dart around to get where we need to be, avert possible disasters, and react to the immediate situation.
Now consider the turtle who slowly moves ahead and arrives (in the story at least) well before the rabbit shows up. Another thing about the turtle, she has everything she needs with her. Aren’t we really more like a turtle at this stage in our lives as we move forward with all we need, including self-protection? It simply requires slower, smaller steps along the way.
I am learning this “turtle step” business. Before, I would add to my ever-expanding “to-do”list—write book, run 1/2 marathon, lose 20 pounds, and take vacation. Could I do any of these in one giant leap? Of course not. Plus each of them is overwhelming in magnitude and would stress me out. I either sat frozen in place or darted around like a crazy rabbit!
When I break the big stuff down to one small thing at a time, it feels inconsequential, but surprisingly it gets done. And that leads me to the next small step and then the next…and before you know it, I’m there.
So, wherever “there” is for you….start with a small step. And before you know it, you’ll arrive at your destination.
