Awhile back (BFT - Before Fire Time) I was feeling lost in a shitstorm. I don’t remember which one it was but most likely involved the Oompa Loompa With Orange Hair. I was also coming out of that fog of the first year of my second kid’s life and trying to get various projects off the ground while working a side hustle and yada yada yada. Life was lifein’ and it felt hard and overwhelming and I wasn’t quite sure what to do or where to start. So, I went back to a system I’ve used many times in my life when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I made a short video of this practice, posted it on Instagram, and I got so many responses from people saying, “Thank you. I needed this very badly.”
I just set up a little desk for myself in our new house so I am bringing back my little routine to help ground me. We are in a time of collective unmooring so I’m sharing this practice again. The gist is: tiny things = big things. Tiny is Big. BIG TINY, BAYBEES.
If you are having a tough time figuring out what to do or where to start with…anything…here is the practice I recommend:
Step One: Get a Post-It note and a pen.
Step Two: Write the following on the Post-It:
Get Oriented
Pick One Thing.
Do That One Thing.
Repeat.
Step Three: Put that Post-It on your desk or wherever you tend to show up to get things done.
What do these steps mean?
Get Oriented: Figure out where you are and what’s what. Are you trying to write a book? Do you need to organize your closet? Maybe both? Are you trying to leave your job? WHAT IS GOING ON? When you do open water swimming you have to do what’s called “sighting” where you periodically lift your head out of the water and look for your landmark or the thing that orients you to your destination so you don’t let the current take you away from your mark. You will not swim in a straight line and you will end up in Bazingoville. This step is the on-land version of sighting. Figure out where you are and what’s going on. What are you working towards or what do you want to be working towards? That’s step one.
Pick One Thing: Once you have figured out what is going on pick ONE SINGLE THING that will move you closer to your mark. The one thing could be, “Pick up the clothes off my floor.” It could be, “Email my friend Shoni and ask her if I can buy her coffee on Friday to pick her brain about working in marketing.” It could be, “Put my running clothes in the washing machine." It could be, “Write one short paragraph.” It could be, “Make my mammogram appointment.” Do not pick two things. Don’t even think about it, you over achiever. Just pick one thing.
Do That One Thing: You do the one thing. That’s it. You just do it immediately. Don’t think about it. Don’t wonder if it’s the right thing to do. Stop thinking about it. Do one thing. It is just ONE THING. You can do one thing. You go do the one thing! I know you can do one thing!
I think I should add a step here where you say “Hooray I did one thing!”
Repeat: Then you start over again. Reorient for a hot minute, pick another thing, do that other thing.
I have found this method to be very effective at getting my gears going in a non-overwhelming way. Starting with one thing makes it manageable and specific. Eventually you start doing many single things that add up to a big thing. Big things are made up of a zillion tiny things so just think tiny. And, you have to pat yourself on the back when you do the tiny things and be okay with that being what you’ve done. I am terrible at this part and I’m trying to get better about it so I’m on the struggle bus with it and, if you are too, I get it. But we gotta celebrate the wins. If you picked one thing and you did it you have to recognize you DID IT. That is great. That is wonderful. And you can keep going.
xo