Moving just an inch gets you closer to the finish line

Life is chaotic and unforeseen events are always cropping up to sabotage our carefully laid plans. We expect to get 10 things done and realize that other stuff must take priority.

Assuming this isn’t about procrastinating or resisting the work, it’s okay to forgive yourself and reprioritize. It’s not okay to kick yourself because you should have done more, or you should have just sat down and focused. Don’t “should” on yourself. It’s gross.

Life is going to happen, and sometimes it will derail what you had expected to get done that week. When this happens, one way to reframe this is to focus on moving a few inches. Maybe you can’t complete the whole project plan, but you can spend 15 minutes reviewing the information and keep it fresh in your mind. Maybe you send a quick email. Or make a phone call.

Come up with just a few short tasks that keep that project going forward until you can once again give it your full attention.

For some people this can relieve the guilt and frustration of feeling like nothing got done. It allows them to accept that stuff came up and they needed to make new choices.

Big picture goals take time, and many people aren’t in the position of dropping everything else to pursue it. A college professor once said to me, “It’s not a sprint. It’s marathon.”

There will be times that you can devote all your attention to the goal, and you will pick up speed. Then there will be times when other stuff gets in the way. In those moments, don’t worry about the slowed momentum. Just think about moving a couple inches. Even moving a few inches gets you closer to your goal.

A great tool to use when life hectic and you want to keep an eye on your Big Picture goal is the "Daily 3 List"