If you want to make big changes in your life, the easiest and only way to begin is one step at a time. If you’ve ever looked at a mountain from the bottom before climbing it, the trek can appear to be a daunting task. But miraculously, by taking one step at a time, the miles lead you to the peak.  Running will bring burnout, but going at a slow, steady pace brings endurance. When we start a project or set a goal, we’re often full of good intentions. Eat right, workout more, write a novel. Exercises classes are full, but by mid-January those good intentions fade. It may be that we try to tackle too many things at once, go too fast, and expect immediate results. 

I often set big goals and I don’t know about you, but I’ve often pushed myself – body, mind, and spirit – to the point of burnout to achieve them. When I do this, it takes me months to get back to the old energy levels. This year I’m opting for the regular, steady pace that gets me to the goal safe, balanced and at just the right time. If you recall the story of the turtle and the hare, then you’ll remember a similar message. The turtle keeps at it, while the hare rushes ahead, lazes around then rushes again, and the turtle’s steadiness wins the race in the end. It’s sticking to a regular commitment that makes the difference — whether it’s working out, cutting down on food intake, or putting a thousand words a day on paper to create a novel. Those daily increments get the job done.

Bio: Debra Moffitt is the award winning author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life and “Garden of Bliss: Cultivating the Inner Landscape for Self-Discovery” (Llewellyn Worldwide, February 2013). A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices, writing and creativity in the U.S. and Europe. More at http://www.awakeintheworld.com and on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/DebraMoffittAwakeintheWorld