Peak motivation is at the edge of our comfort zone

There is a well-known Chinese proverb from Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching that says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The proverb says that any accomplishment begins by taking action and in this case just one step. We can all take one step, yet how many times have we come up with an idea or a goal and never make progress? Jeff Bezos started Amazon out of a garage as an online bookstore. He started small, had a goal, grew and today Amazon is one of the most well-known brands.

Starting small and growing by a step works because of the Goldilocks Rule. We all remember Goldilocks, and she wanted everything sized just right for her. As humans we operate best in the same mindset, when we are just outside of our comfort zone. This is when a task is difficult but still manageable.

Let’s put this to action and take a big goal of starting a company. Breaking it out into small steps could look like the below:

Generating Additional Income

Investing in stocks and earning dividends
Selling old clothes on Facebook marketplace

Testing Ideas

Journal everyday on ideas
Starting to create something

Manifesting It

Telling friends and family about it
Telling yourself you have a company
Buying the website domain

The small ideas build confidence while allowing the space to pivot and adjust as needed. Action is crucial - take the first step.

Starting Small

Lead with your Gut

The Calmness at the Beach