Focus on The Small Picture – By Lucky Karunaratne

Counsellor, Growth Coach and Member- Australian Counselling Association and Counselling- Victoria

Website:https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/counselling/lucky-karunaratne-delahey-vic/843529

Focus on The Small Picture - By Lucky Karunaratne

How often have you been told of the importance of setting big goals ( I believe the acronym is BHAG ie Big Hairy Audacious Goals ) and looking at the big picture? It is supposed to inspire you and energise you to reach those all important goals . Inspiring as it sounds there is a major problem with this approach. Very often this strategy leads to being overwhelmed and inadequate. Intimidated even. The goal seems so far away from where the person is at this moment and totally unattainable. It brings about a feeling of discouragement and negative questions keep popping up in one’s mind. Like “ I could never do that”. I’m just not good enough or strong enough or talented enough or committed enough.

Let me give you an example of how the big picture scenario works in real life.

Kathy ( not her real name) wishes to start on an aerobic activity. She is a smoker and her GP has suggested she do this as part of her plan to quit. Her sister gives her a bicycle for her birthday and she is so enthusiastic about starting out. She talks with great detail about how she will cycle along such and such a road, ( Peaceful and no traffic) pass a particular set of traffic lights so that she would have done 5 Km by the time she gets home. I ask her when she intends to start “ In a couple of weeks , when the weather is a bit warmer” Weeks pass and turn into months and the bicycle remains in the same place; untouched.

A more productive and sustainable route would be to figure out the first tiny step one can take without much effort. The good book says “ despise not the day of small beginnings” You may find this tiny step incredibly difficult though . However, it is equally incredible how this helps to create the momentum. Getting started will give you a sense of exhilaration like no other if it is something you have been procrastinating for a long time.

Compare Kathy’s thinking with the approach of Sir Edmund Hillary. He was the first to climb Mount Everest. He did not go headlong into this mountaineering challenge by attempting the world’s highest peak. He geared up for this by climbing several smaller peaks in his home country in New Zealand. This allowed him to gain confidence and build him up , physically and emotionally towards reaching his final goal.

So what are some practical steps one can take to move forward towards your goal.

1.Think of the first action step , the first tiny step- In Kathy’s case it could be as simple as getting into her bike gear and just getting on the bike seat inside the house. Then on day 2 , wheeling the bike into her garden . On day 3 up onto the road. You get the picture. If you wish to read a book of 300 pages , you start with a sentence on day 1 ,2 sentences on day 2 and as momentum builds a paragraph on day 3. Tiny, incremental ,action steps is how momentum is built towards moving towards and achieving your big picture goal.

2.Enlarge the small picture- There is no better way of seeing how far you’ve come and the progress you have made than to keep a log or a journal where you keep a record of all of the steps you have taken from day one. Make a habit of reviewing your progress weekly. Believe me, you will be amazed at the progress you have made.

3.It’s important to be consistent . The tiny steps have to be taken consistently and regularly. This is not about taking quantum breathtaking leaps which will make everyone including you shaking their head in amazement. Nope; this is the boring but effective way to progress and self empowerment.

4.Accept that plateaus and setbacks will happen. Both of these situations will occur and you need to be prepared for it. Have a copability strategy in especially the emotional ( feeling area ) and the actual doing area as to how you are going to handle this. Ask yourself questions such as “ How will I cope with disspiritedness and feelings of failure when these come upon me during setbacks? “What is my back up plan when I plateau” This is the time to get to basics and remind yourself the importance of small steps. An effective way would be to go back and read your journals and log books. If you did it in the past, you can do it again.

5.Avoid situations and scenarios ( and yes, people!) which interfere with your small steps journey. This sounds obvious but sadly overlooked. If you are on a health journey and you do have a craving for doughnuts , it wouldn’t make sense to join group excursions which are focused on heavy and unhealthy meals

6.Reward yourself periodically – Life is not meant to be lived in a constant state of striving and discomfort. This is a recipe for burnout. It’s so important to reward yourself when you feel you deserve it. The reward should be ( a) something which makes you feel good. Only you know what that could be. It should be simple and not be expensive or outrageous eg watching a movie with your favourite actor or listening to some calming or bouncy music depending on your mood or preference and ( b) This is vital ; it should not be self defeating eg it’s not smart to treat yourself to doughnuts if you are on a weight loss program!

Now is the time to stop reading and figure out what you can do right now to get you started. Something as simple as a telephone call or even just switching the TV off and getting off the couch.

Keep in mind , the world is waiting for you to appear on its stage. The small stage initially and then on to bigger and larger stages. Life was meant to be an evolution not a revolution