So, if you start with five pushups a day for a couple of weeks, I bet you’ll be able to do six soon enough. Keep at it, and in a few more days, you’ll be hitting 10. Before you know it, you’ll be doing 15, 20, even 30 pushups in a few months.
Your body’s gonna get stronger because you’re making it get stronger. It doesn’t have a choice.
You don’t need to buy into some fancy idea or formula about getting stronger. No need for visualization or manifestation. Just do 10 pushups for a while. Then do 11. Then 12.
Simple, right?
We all know that this is how real, lasting progress happens for our bodies—bit by bit. But when it comes to mental, emotional or relational growth, it’s tougher to accept that idea.
If you’re dealing with depression, you might think you need to “snap out of it” and start doing a bunch of things to get better. Or if you’re trying to reconnect with your wife you might think you need to line up several months in row a series of weekly date nights – and after 1 or 2 dates the fires will spark again.
But that’s like expecting to go from zero to 100 pushups overnight. We all know that’s impossible.
When you realize that, it’s easy to feel like working on your mood or tackling your relationship struggle may not even be worth the effort.
It feels too hard.
That’s how goals turn into sources of frustration, dread, and shame. Months of feeling down can turn into years. Delayed tasks can become abandoned dreams.
I hear this a lot.
People share their stories of years of trauma, conflicts, and self-doubt. They say, “I know I should be going to therapy once a week, hitting the gym every day, reading about resilience, and journaling every night, but it’s too much. I just need advice on how to cope.”
But what if they started with 10 minutes a day?
Maybe read a couple of pages of a book, set up a few therapy sessions, or jot down three bullet points each night about how they’re feeling. And then build from there.
All growth — mental, emotional, physical, spiritual (and especially relational) — is about making small steps.
What’s true for your muscles is true for your mind, heart, and soul. Inch by inch, you can build a completely new life.
So, if you’re struggling with an intellectual or emotional or relational goal, treat it like pushups. Start small. Do five pushups. Or two. Even one. Do it with your knees on the ground if you have to.
The point is, just start.
Gently push yourself toward bigger goals.
If you’re stuck or frustrated, ask yourself:
What’s the smallest, easiest, most unimpressive version of this goal?
What’s stopping me from going for that unimpressive version?
Can I show up in tiny ways every day and see what happens?
Put those answers into action, and you’ll achieve more than you think you’re capable of. It’s not rocket science, and it’s not glamorous. That’s why it works.
Believing you need a complete life overhaul to get better isn’t just irrational. It’s paralysing.
Maybe that’s why our minds tell that story—to avoid the work!
Does this principle ring true for you?
Are you struggling with it?
Reach out. Help is available.
Courtesy: Corey Allan