A Mountain Of Dirt

It’s always a great idea to keep the front lawn looking tidy and to repair any problems. With this thought in mind, we had delivered a dump truck full of topsoil in order to fill in two large holes created when two old tree stumps were removed.

An Idea That Soured
The big, big mound of earth sat there dumped 200 feet away from these holes waiting for me to begin the process. What had started out as a great idea soon soured when I realized that this big, big mound of earth was not going to move itself and seemed overwhelming. All I could see, as I stood beside it with my shovel and wheelbarrow, was a dump truck full of topsoil; a mound of earth that looked more like a mini-mountain than a pile of earth that would be a simple Saturday afternoon chore. Oh my goodness, why did I ever think that this hole filling, lawn repair project, was something I would be able to tackle?

Reminded of An Old Proverb
After staring at this pile of topsoil for ten minutes wondering whether I should hire someone to do what I just couldn’t see myself doing, an old Chinese Proverb came to mind, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The translation of this proverb to the task at hand immediately became obvious. I needed to take one shovel at a time until a wheelbarrow was full, and then keep filling one wheelbarrow at a time and dumping it until one hole was full then simply repeating the process until both holes were finished.

You see, what I had to remind myself was that what might at first appear as an overwhelming task, or something I couldn’t see myself doing, would be resolved by simply taking one step at a time, or one action at a time, over and over again.

Continuous Progress
Projects, problems, or one’s own need to learn a new job or career skill has the same application. Every difficult goal that, at first, may be viewed as an insurmountable obstacle can be resolved when you implement a strategy that requires only one-step at a time. Each action taken moves you forward, continuous progress is seen, and the final goal is closer and closer until it is accomplished.

This same principle can be applied to everything you need to tackle in life including getting that promotion or acquiring a speciality designation or degree. For example, let’s talk about getting your degree from university and one that will require you to stay in school for up to seven years. At first glance, this is a very long time to spend in school where you have to fund the entire stay through your own resources. When you look at the entire seven years, the amount of money required seems a daunting task. But, when you look at what you are embarking on for your future, you need to look only at one year at a time, just like one shovel at a time.

The same applies to working towards a promotion at your place of work. You have in your mind a position that is several levels higher than where you started. It looks like a long climb to the position you really want.

Month After Month
Again, it is not going to be one huge step because you will need to prepare for your ultimate position. Your preparation will call for continuous learning, dedicated work ethics, and a willingness to go the extra mile that others will not in order to be recognized as an individual who will give their time and then some, and will be known as a person to be counted on in the crunch when things just need to get done. The view to take here is to work towards one higher promotional level at a time. Never mind about the future position for it will look after itself as you develop each month, month after month.

Inspirational Quotes To Consider
“Every seed knows its time – all in good time.” Russian Proverb

“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.” Thomas Jefferson

You see, success doesnt just suddenly occur one day. For that matter, neither does failure. Each is a process. Every day of your life is merely preparation for the next. John C. Maxwell, JumpStart Your Priorities: A 90-Day Improvement Plan

People who are successful always talk about what they want and what they will do to achieve it. People who aren’t talk about circumstances that don’t let them live the life they want. Andrii Sedniev, The Achievement Factory It’s in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped. Anthony Robbins

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