Create the Life You Want, One Small, Courageous, and Consistent Action at a Time.
People often imagine courage as something that is bold.
Resigning from a job. Relocating to a new country. Launching a business. Making a bold announcement. Starting over in a visible way.
Those moments can certainly require courage.
But in everyday life, courage is not easy.
“Courage is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. It is not the total absence of fear, but rather the ability to manage it and take action or stand up for your beliefs despite that fear.”(Wikipedia)
It is the decision to take an action and continue to repeat it.
Not once. Not only when conditions are perfect. But often enough that the action starts to change how you see yourself.
I’ve seen this pattern many times in coaching. People often wait until they feel completely ready before taking action. They wait for clarity, confidence, time, energy, or the perfect plan.
But confidence often follows action, not the other way around.
One client, Kathy, was a graphic designer who had lost her sense of creativity. Creativity had once been part of her identity, but over time, the demands of work and life had pushed it aside. She wanted to reconnect with that part of herself.
At first, Kathy created an ambitious plan: to practice creativity for one hour every day.
It sounded inspiring at first, but it quickly became impossible to keep up.
An hour of practice felt overwhelming, especially on busy or tough days. Each time she missed it, she felt disappointed in herself. The plan that was supposed to help her creativity started to make her feel like she couldn’t stick with it.
So she made the action smaller.
So instead of an hour, she decided to spend just five minutes doing observational sketching while having her morning coffee.
Five minutes.
Small enough to do even on a difficult day. Specific enough to begin. Connected to a routine she already had.
Over time, five minutes turned into ten, and then ten became fifteen.
More importantly, Kathy started to trust herself again.
The sketches were important, but the bigger change was that she was keeping a promise to herself.
That’s often where real change starts.
A five-minute action you repeat is more powerful than a thirty-minute plan you keep putting off.
This is what I think of as the MICRO Method:
M – Meaning Connect your action to something that truly matters to you. When it has meaning, it becomes more than just another task.
I – Incredibly Small Make your first step small enough to finish even on a tough day. The point is to get started.
C – Clear the Path Remove anything that makes it harder. Link your new action to a routine you already have. Make it easier to do than to skip.
R – Record Keep track of your action in a simple way. A checkmark is enough. You don’t need a complicated system, just proof that you’re doing it.
O – Own It Notice when you keep a promise to yourself and celebrate it. This step is important. Self-trust grows when you see yourself following through.
Consistency creates evidence.
Evidence builds self-trust.
And self-trust gives us the courage to take the next step.
Meaningful change doesn’t come from being perfect. It comes from coming back to your goal again and again.
Returning to the action, to the intention, and returning to the person you want to become.
So the question isn’t always, “What big leap do I need to take?”
Sometimes the better question is:
What is the five-minute action I am willing to repeat that will help me to create the life I want?
More to find: What Now? From an Autopilot to a Life you choose
