Welcome everyone to another article of ‘Mastering Your Journey’, where I want to explore with you the art and science of achieving extraordinary results in both your personal and professional life.
Today, I want to dive deep into a principle that, at first glance, might seem counterintuitive—especially in a world that often glorifies big, bold moves and massive action. But here’s the truth: Extraordinary results are born from small, intentional steps.
You see, when we think about achieving something remarkable—whether it’s transforming our career, building a thriving business, or helping a client reach their fullest potential—our natural tendency is to think big. And thinking big is important; it sets the vision, it ignites passion, and it motivates us to move forward.
But the actual journey to that big result?
That starts with something small, something manageable.
The Power of Small Steps
Let me break it down for you. Imagine you’re a coach working with a client who has an ambitious goal—maybe it’s to write a book, launch a new business, or even to completely reinvent their lifestyle. As their coach, your role is to help them crystallize their vision and guide them along the path. But here’s the key: it’s not about making giant leaps forward every day. It’s about identifying the small, consistent actions that, when compounded over time, lead to those extraordinary outcomes.
This is where the power of focus comes in.
When we concentrate on the small steps—on simplifying our thinking and our actions—we’re not only making progress, we’re also sharpening our clarity. It’s this clarity that allows us to see exactly what needs to be done and to take action with purpose.
The paradox is that by focusing on the small, we’re actually enabling ourselves and our clients to achieve something much bigger.
Connecting to ICF Core Competencies
Now, for those of you who are coaches—especially those working towards or maintaining their ICF credentials—this principle is directly aligned with the ICF Core Competencies. Let’s talk about a few specific markers that illustrate this beautifully.
The ICF Competencies encourage coaches to help clients express what they want to achieve in a session. Notice how this isn’t about jumping straight to the end goal or result. Instead, it’s about honing in on a specific, actionable and ‘coachable’ outcome that can be addressed within the limited time you have together.
Then coaches are guided to explore the client’s goals for the overall coaching process. Again, it’s about allowing the clients to breaking down a potentially overwhelming vision into tangible, smaller goals that are achievable session by session.
Besides, the competence of a coach to agree on a defined result is all about aligning on success measures for the goal. As coaches, we’re not just thinking about the end game; we’re partnering with our clients so that they can identify the markers of progress along the way—the small steps that indicate they’re moving in the right direction.
Finally, a coach invites clients to ensure that both coach and client are on the same page regarding what will be addressed and explored in relation to what the client wants to be accomplished. It’s a reminder that even the grandest vision needs to be distilled into something actionable, something achievable in the here and now.
So, the next time you or your client feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of a goal, remember this: Start small!
If you are a coach, focus on what you can ask right now, in the moment, about one goal for the session and not just about what they client wants to achieve in life, in a more general perspective.
If you a client, focus on what you can choose to do right now, today.
By mastering the art of small, intentional steps, you’re not just moving forward—you’re laying the foundation for extraordinary results.
If you found this article valuable, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this topic.
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