Baby Steps

Hello, hello, hello. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of The Zealous Disposition Podcast. Today I will be sharing my thoughts on Baby Steps.

There are times in our lives when we have big ideas…big plans. We get excited and want to hit the ground running fast and hard. Having that excitement is good but should we really have a “on your marks…get set…go!” attitude?

Sometimes it’s good to hit the ground running and figure things out as we go…but what about the other times.  The times that need careful consideration. I mean…do we even know where we’re going and how long it will take. Knowing where we’re going and how long it could take will let us know what kind of pace we need.

Do we need to come out of the blocks in a full sprint…are we running a mile or will we be running a marathon? Whether we choose a sprint or a marathon we may be overlooking an important step…or should I say “STEPS” and these steps are Baby Steps.

Baby steps can be a valuable tool in reaching and maintaining your goal. Yes I said maintaining.  Remember, sometimes we forget about the maintaining part.  We may reach our goal to only come to the realization of “Now what?”  For example, say that one of our goals is to get fit…we want to get in shape.  We workout, lose fat, gain muscle, and get all slim and trim.  But what about maintaining the results.  Maintaining can be a whole different process than getting there.  Something to think about.

But let’s get back to the Baby Steps.
We’ve heard the phrases…Crawl before you walk…and Walk before you run.  So in this situation we’ve already crawled and came up with an idea. Now it’s time to walk and expand on that idea…so let’s look at how babies walk.

The typical steps involve a baby learning how to roll over.  Then they sit up.  Then they either begin to do a butt-scoot or they start crawling.  Once they get that squared away…they move on to something more exciting…standing. They use something stable like a coffee table or couch to brace themselves as they get their leg coordination going. Soon they’re standing on their own.

Once they get the standing stuff squared away…they take a step…and we all know what happens after that…they take a little “plop” on their behinds. They keeps doing the “Stand, Step, Plop” until they take more steps…each time getting closer and closer towards their target…which is most likely Mom, Daddy, or their favorite toy.

The whole process takes time and it’s not pretty. They have this Frankenstein-Zombie walking form and crazy look on their face. Parents think it’s cute but it’s really awkward looking.  But it’s supposed to be awkward.  They’ve never walked before and they’re learning the basics.  That awkward-crazy look on their face is called FOCUS…

They’re focused on taking one step at a time while simultaneously focusing on getting closer to Mom. Then BOOM…they’re walking own their own…moving about with freedom. And before you know it they’re getting into everything and when you try to stop them they zoom away with a quickness.

When then they start running?  How did they learn to run?  How are they out maneuvering they’re parents as they run away bare-bottom with no diaper?   Everything seemed to happen in a flash.  So how did this happen?…By first learning to take Baby Steps.

We should follow this same example when trying something new…when setting a goal…when dealing with big changes. Consider adding Baby Steps to your learning process and goal setting.  Learn the basics…take your time and have patience during those Baby Steps and enjoy the Frankenstein-Zombie-Awkward-Crazy-Looking moments.

Take Baby Steps…Soon your momentum will pick up and you’ll be off and running before you know it.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at zealousdisposition@gmail.com. Thank you for listening to The Zealous Disposition…and remember, as iron sharpens iron so one man another…sharpen yourself and sharpen those around you.