Three Things Thursday No. 19: Audaciously Small Steps
Hi there!
How’s it going?
Is your state in the process of opening back up or not yet? It’s kind of exciting and scary all at the same time. But we keep going forward!
How has your progress creating rhythms going? Previously we had talked about how having a family rhythm can create stability and calm during a chaotic time, and then most recently we talked about the roadblocks and obstacles you might face in making changes in anything, especially a personal or family rhythm and how to overcome them.
Today I want to conclude this mini-series with my personal favorite strategy for making any kind of change and also share my latest sewing project and blog posts (spoiler alert: it’s cloth face masks).
Let’s dive in, shall we?
Thing 1: Audaciously Small Steps
We’ve talked about this before, but I think it bears repeating. What I am finding as I continue to move forward through this experience is that in order to make changes or establish new habits or rhythms, or even just get anything done, I have to break my next steps (or “next actions”) down into small steps. So small that “baby steps” doesn’t cover it. So small that they are laughably small. Ludicrously small. So small that it feels ridiculous to write them down. Audaciously small. THAT SMALL.
For example, I had been wanting to make a variety of cloth face masks so I could find the pattern that maximized both fit and reasonably fun sewing. (Hey, if I’m going to make 500 of the things I’d prefer to enjoy it, right?) But “sew several different masks” is too big of a “next action” and it wasn’t getting done. I had to break it down. What is the actual, actionable next step? For realz?
Here’s my thought process when pondering that question:
I need to make masks, where do I start?
Well, I need to print out the patterns I am going to use.
OK. I’d better save the files to my computer so I don’t lose them.
So, I need to download the pattern files.
Do I know which patterns I am going to use?
I have a scattered list and some ideas somewhere…
Maybe I need to write down a list of the patterns I’m interested in so far and figure out which ones to use?
Yes, I can do that! I’ll make a rough list of the patterns I wanted to try, even if it’s just a note like “that one that I saw from that nurse.”
When I get to that point where I feel clear about what to do next, and what to do next feels really concrete and doable, then I’m ready.
I do that.
Once that task is complete, I ask myself what’s next and go through the process again. Rinse and repeat.
One teeny, tiny step at a time I get closer to my goal.
Thing 2: Only a Few Things
The key here is to stop once you have a next action (or two) and take action. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, make a whole big giant list of next actions. This is just overwhelming.
Yes, if I have a big complex project with a lot of moving parts I might write some notes just to get it clear in my head. But when it comes to actual making it happen, I go task by task. I generally do this in the evening so I’m prepared for the next morning, but sometimes I stop in the middle of the day to break something down further if it isn’t bite-sized enough.
Thing 3: Speaking of Cloth Masks
I’ve been busy!! I did actually follow through on my task list above and I made samples of several different masks so we could try them out, try them on and generally see what was the same or different about them. I thought it might be useful for other people who are considering a cloth face mask, so I put together a handy-dandy guide with all of the masks and their features so you can finding the mask pattern that works for you!
I also wrote up a little guide on the different types of mask features in case you are not familiar with them, and a post with frequently asked questions about cloth masks. Here’s all the links:
Free Cloth Face Mask Pattern Guide
How to Choose a Cloth Face Mask Pattern
Frequently Asked Questions about Cloth Face Masks
That’s it!
This week it’s all about breaking tasks into teeny-tiny little bite sized pieces! Oh yes, and cloth face masks.
Have you had any luck making little changes lately? What’s the change that’s having the biggest impact? Comment below and let me know, or you can also always find me on Facebook or Instagram!
Much love,
P.S. Everything I learned about breaking tasks down into tiny steps and finding your “next action,” I learned by (mostly) following Getting Things Done by David Allen for several years. It was in an online discussion of that book that someone said, “if a ‘next action’ task hangs on my list for too long, I know it isn’t small enough.” BOOM. Seriously. You could live by that sentence alone and be more productive than you’ve ever been. If you’re interested in the book, you can find it here on Amazon.com.
Many thanks to the generosity of photographers whose work is shared for free on Unsplash: Andrew Neel, Alexander Dummer and Emma Matthews Digital Content Production.
