Just One Step Forward

It’s such a simple concept, yet often the most difficult one to master.  I always remember the ancient Chinese proverb of Lao Tzu: “The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” I have used it to motivate me forward past being stuck, past all the excuses and fears and, thankfully, it works most of the time and off I go.

This weekend I was enjoying the California desert with my dog and wanted to do some hiking. The owner of the B&B where I stayed was kind enough to offer a hand-drawn map that pointed me toward hiking right behind my cabin. I committed it to memory and left the map behind. At a crossroads, I took a very steep path uphill, even though there seemed to be an easier path, my memory was telling me to go straight up. I thought I was following the map.

My knees protested. My left has undergone two surgeries and my right has a torn ACL so sometimes they just collapse on me on uphill climbs – their way of saying I should know better and you have played hard in your life. Between my asthma and my knees, I’m just tempting fate. There came a point when I thought I should turn back. I sat and enjoyed the view and pondered my situation. I still had much more hill ahead of me and didn't know how I was going to get down the steep, loose gravelly trail with no foot holds. But I decided not to look at how far I had to go but just the next step in front of me. Just one step is what I told myself. If you can do that first step you can do the rest. It happened, one foot planted and the next moving up and up. The reward was mine when I topped the hill and was greeted by a valley of California wildflowers having one of their most festive years ever, thanks to heavy winter rains.

Fortunately, I found an easier way down, blazing our own trail. Realizing when back in the cabin and looked at the map, I climbed the wrong hill. But aren’t many great discoveries mistakes? I had gotten to travel the road less traveled and had tested my tenacity and my knees. I felt strong and confident.

The challenge is we don’t always know what that first step looks like. It may take more than one try to find the right path. Effort counts. We learn from the successes and the failures. As Sir Richard Branson said: "Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again."  The important thing is to keep trying and keep moving. Don’t look at the number of steps between you and your goals and get overwhelmed. Tackle one step and the next will be easier. Imagine yourself having arrived. You have to be able to visualize your success.

Recently, I had an opportunity to coach someone on stage at a conference. Once we figured out what was holding her back, her real fear, we needed to find a path forward. When I asked what she thought her first step should be, she had to really give it some thought, resisting the challenge. There is not always an easy answer. And after she decided on her first step, she then had to commit to taking that step, to me, to herself and to the entire audience watching. The first one is the scariest of all – the leap of faith, faith in yourself, the commitment to yourself and your decisions.

The power in that first step is huge! It will be what propels you upward.

When I was competing in triathlons, I hated running. It was the toughest part for me. I adopted a strategy to break it up in my head to a series of 100 steps at a time. No matter how many times I counted, it always started with 1.

One step…

To learn how to motivate your team better

To determine the next point in your career

To move your business forward

To figure out how to make your company or product stronger

To be more seen and heard at work and in life

To believing in yourself

To living the life of your dreams

To be better today than you were yesterday

Decide what you want, then point your feet in that direction and take one step.

I dare you!

#dare2be

If you are ready to take your first step- Let's Chat!

https://calendly.com/alison-38/dareme

As a 25-year-tech-industry veteran, Alison has experience in a wide range of companies, including seven start-ups resulting in five acquisitions and two IPOs. As coach and consultant, she has worked with the likes of Kevin Harrington. Over the years, Alison has made it her mission to understand the tech industry and to be there for clients in successfully navigating this complex world. She holds a Master’s in Engineering and trained at the Coaches Training Institute and the World Business and Executive Coaching Summit, giving her a balanced view of both the technology and the human side to the industry – the excitement of the potential and practical demands of implementation. In her personal life, she understands the meaning of hard work in achieving a competitive edge having been an age group nationally ranked and then Division 1 swimmer and amateur triathlete as well as an adventurer often wandering solo to the jungles of 3rd world countries with just a camera and a backpack. She brings this same work ethic and daring to her clients.