I used to struggle quite heavily with procrastination until I really understood this concept.
When I apply this concept to any area of life, I find that progress just flows, and the journey feels almost effortless.
I realized this concept when I did a solo hike across the USA.
On that journey, I would count the mile markers until I reached 20 miles every day.
And then, one day, I got a crazy idea.
I decided instead of counting the mile markers, I would ask 1 question:
Can I take the next step?
And so long as the answer was “YES” I would keep going.
I didn’t know how far this question would take me.
I didn’t know what the limits of my potential were.
I didn’t know how long I had been going.
I didn’t know how far I had gone.
I just kept focused on that question. It’s all I focused on.
When I finally stopped, it was because my knee buckled underneath me and I literally couldn’t take another step. The “NO” didn’t come from giving up, it come from my body reaching its true potential.
Looking back, I realized I had answered that question 100,000 times. I hiked the equivalent of 2 marathons with 80 lbs of gear in a single day.
That’s when it really hit me that all great journeys, whether it’s building a business, learning a new language, or something as crazy as hiking 4600 miles, is just a series of small steps.
Your journey starts with the courage to take a single step, and continues with the courage to take another.
So, where ever you are at in your journey, ask yourself this question: Can I take the next step?
