012. The Insignificant First Step

When starting a new habit, I’ve discovered  that no first step is too small. Every action counts. 

It begins with an easy first step. 

To steal from the advice of Tim Ferriss, who is known for his exhaustive books; he sets a modest daily quota when writing: “two crappy pages a day.” Just two pages, out of the eventual hundreds may seem insignificant, but it’s an achievable target.

By labeling them as “crappy” removes the pressure to create something mind blowing or write the next classic. Crappy is okay because it beats nothing. 

By committing to just two pages, he’s placing psychology on his side. Two pages is easily achievable for him and often leads to surpassing the set goal, keeping him mentally in the win column for the day.

This advice is applicable across domains and we can tailor for our unique goals. 

For me and this blog, aiming for two pages, no matter how crappy, feels daunting. Most of my work doesn’t even reach the next page. However, writing just one paragraph feels….insignificant. Perfect. 

So I focus on writing one crappy paragraph about my chosen topic each day, a few days a week. I can do that. More often than not, I end up exceeding this small goal.  

Similarly, when making a habit of going to the gym, starting small is key.  If stepping into the gym feels daunting, the first step might be as simple as getting dressed and driving to the gym. Just parking your car can be a milestone.

Over time, the goal can evolve to checking in inside or eventually just 3 mins of cardio. You’ll find that at each of these milestones you’ll likely end up doing more than you anticipated.

The problem that holds us back is exactly why this approach works: insignificance. 

Parking your car at the gym doesn’t feel noteworthy or impressive. No one is posting selfies from the parking lot. It’s not something you want to share or tell your friends. It feels too insignificant.

That’s the point.

When psychologists are dealing with severely depressed people, i.e. they don’t possess enough energy to even get out of bed, they set a goal of just walking down the hall. That’s all you have to do for today. Make it down the hall and you’ll likely make it much further. 

Sad part is, some people see that as a literal insignificant step and will never start. I argue that’s the point. 

Embrace the insignificance. Two crappy pages a day. One crappy parking job. One crappy walk down the hall. You’ll find it’s not all that crappy after all.