“Success is the sum of small efforts,
repeated day in and day out.”
- Robert Collier
“Start by doing what's necessary;
then do what's possible; and
suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
- St. Francis of Assisi
Have you ever had a worthwhile idea that never got started because of the complexity required to fully implement the idea? The thought of how to get from “point zero” to the completed task was, to say the least, overwhelming in the technology and disciplinary resources required of the project. The mountain loomed unscalable from your vantage point at ground level. Further, the closer you got to the “foot of the mountain,” the mountain looked larger and larger, and the thought of getting to the top became more and more unrealistic.
Any worthwhile idea will appear to be overwhelming at the beginning. You might ask: “How will I ever find the time to complete the task?” “How will I gain the technological and disciplinary knowledge required of the project?” “How will I know what to do when I reach certain points in the completion of the project?” “Who will help me?” “Where will I get the necessary funding, etc., etc., etc.?” These are all legitimate questions and questions that need to be answered. It is important to keep in mind, however, that all of the questions don’t have to be answered in their entirety at the current moment. The answers to many of the questions will become apparent from clues that you encounter during your journey up the mountain.
From a distance a mountain appears to be a very large land mass that must be addressed as a single unit. As we move closer and closer to the mountain, however, we begin to visualize the individual elements, the stones that comprise the mountain. These stones provide clues as to how to ascend the mountain and reach its apex. By approaching the mountain one stone at a time we can find the mountain to be less foreboding, and the task of climbing the mountain less overwhelming.
In many respects, the ideas that we have can be like mountains – very complex and very large. Viewed from this perspective we question as to whether or not we will be able to implement the idea and see it to completion. We start to ask a multitude of questions: “How do I start?” “How will I attain the knowledge necessary to complete the task?” “Where will I find the money, and the time to implement the idea?” But, just like mountains, ideas have their stones. Our ideas can be broken down into elements that are manageable and not so overwhelming. As long as we progress element by element each idea, each task, and each challenge can be dealt with effectively as we climb our personal mountains.
So, what idea have you been putting off because it appeared to be too large, too complex? Stop viewing that idea from a distance. Get close to it and “see the stones,” the manageable elements of the idea. Take each of these elements and move forward; while making sure that you keep your focus on the elements at hand as you move up the mountain. Make the elements the foundation of your plan while realizing that in their entirety, the elements comprise your mountain and they will lead you to the apex and to success. Do this and 2009 will be the year you climb Mount Olympus and you will be standing tall, waving your personal Olympic flag of success.