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Your Life Systems is a podcast about building practical systems for everyday life.
Join Wes as he shares simple ideas, practical frameworks, and real-world experience to help you make consistent progress in the areas of life that matter most.
Most people don't need more information. They need better implementation.
Instead of relying on motivation, you'll learn how to build systems that make success easier, more consistent, and more sustainable.
The First Step Changes More Than You Think
Hi, I'm Wes. Welcome to The First Step Changes More Than You Think, or The First Step Is Usually the Hardest and the Most Important. Please subscribe to this channel so you don't miss any new episodes.
Here's the thought I wrote down at the beginning of this when I started putting this episode together, was just get moving, or just get started.
And again, the first step changes more than you think.
So often, especially if you're entrepreneurial or opportunity-minded, you have a lot of different thoughts.
You think about a lot of different ideas, a lot of different ways to make money, a lot of different ways to improve.
And it doesn't even have to be entrepreneurial money. It can just be in your life. You're thinking of ways to improve your life.
You know, this is Your Life Systems, so we talk about that a lot.
Let's say you're just constantly thinking about ways to improve your life.
Well, thoughts are good.
A lot of things, basically everything of any importance that you do, is going to start with the thought of some way.
But thoughts are good, but thoughts never become more than thoughts without taking action, without taking the first step.
So I urge you, find something in your life that you've been thinking about, or considering, or feel like you need to do, and take the first small step.
Take action.
This is really about taking action.
So here's the question I want you to think about throughout the rest of this episode that I think will help you.
What becomes possible once you take the first real step?
What dream do you have? What huge goal do you have? What huge thought? What would you like to accomplish?
And it can be as big as you can possibly imagine that you haven't taken the first step towards.
Now, there's a lot of talk. You can read a lot of literature, find stuff about the correct way to set goals.
Should you set huge goals that you don't think you could possibly reach?
Should you set realistic goals?
Should you set goals that will stretch you?
I have some very definite thoughts on all of that, which I'll share in another episode sometime.
That's not what this one's about.
But it doesn't matter whether it's a realistic goal, a goal that might stretch you, or a goal that seems impossible.
Here, most people would say, it's impossible for me to get a billion dollars. Billion with a B.
Do you agree?
I think most people I talk to, they think that's an impossible goal.
However, there are people in this world that are worth a billion dollars or more, billions of dollars.
And not all of those people had any more advantages at birth than any of us.
Some of them, I'm sure, had some advantages.
But my point is that that might seem like an impossible goal.
But there's some people that have done it, so it's probably not an impossible goal.
It might be very unlikely, but I don't think it's impossible because other people have done it.
Now, that's really not super important here, but here's what is important.
You know how you get to a billion dollars?
You've got to start somewhere.
Everyone that's worth a billion dollars or more woke up one day and started.
They took the first step.
If you never start, then I'll guarantee you're never going to get there.
Think of a trip.
You get out the map, you check the map, you know, I want to go here, so this is how I get there.
You know, I used to use paper maps. Now it's, you know, on the phone or the computer, and you pull up the map on the phone or whatever, and you see the route you need to go.
You know how you get there?
You take the first step.
You drive the first mile, whatever.
If you never take the first step, you're never going to reach whatever goal it is.
Now, the first step doesn't have to be big. It just has to be the first step.
So, you know, what's this all boil down to?
Any goal that you want to accomplish, you've got to take action.
You've got to get started.
So again, what becomes possible once you take the first real step?
So pick a goal, even if it seems impossible.
Think about it. Figure out what the first small step is that you can take that might get you closer to that goal.
Then take that step.
That's what becomes possible once you take the first step.
Everything becomes possible once you take the first step.
No guarantees in life.
There's no guarantee that you're going to reach that goal.
But it's impossible until you take the first step.
Then it's possible.
Because you know what might happen?
You might take the first step.
Then you might find the second simple step.
And, you know, you might be to step 1,212, and then all of a sudden, you see this might be possible.
It never would have been possible if you hadn't taken the first step.
The first step converts an idea into something real.
Let me say that again, because this is so important.
The first step converts whatever your idea is into something real.
It's not real. It's not a real possibility until you take the first step.
Starting reduces uncertainty because you finally have something to observe and evaluate.
You take the first small step.
It's become possible now.
All of a sudden, you went from a thought to something that's possible because you took the first step.
Then you take the next small step.
And you start getting feedback.
You start learning.
You observe what happens when you take each step.
And then you can evaluate what you've learned.
And then you can adjust to take the next step.
The first action does not need to be big or impressive.
It needs to create movement.
So often, we get stuck on, oh, there's this huge goal.
I don't even know where to start.
Or I have to make this huge start.
Well, you don't have to make a huge start to reach a huge goal.
You have to find one thing to do.
Take the first small step.
Take action.
Shrink the first step so small that all fear, complexity, or lack of time is gone.
You want to get rid of every excuse you have.
Shrink the first step until fear, complexity, or lack of time is no longer a reasonable excuse.
Find the smallest thing you can do.
Okay, a billion dollars.
Let's go back to that impossible task.
I want to be worth a billion dollars with a B.
Seems impossible.
Well, what's the smallest possible step you could take that might get you closer to that?
Well, let me tell you how I create a lot of systems.
I find people that have done what I want them to do.
I learn what they did to achieve what I want to achieve.
Then I start copying what they did.
So the first step is, let's find a list of people that are worth a billion dollars.
I'm sure you can find one online.
You can find a list.
That's the first step.
The first step is finding a list of people.
What's the second step?
Let's look at some of these people and see what business they're in.
How did they create a billion dollars worth of net worth or whatever?
Okay, that's two small steps, but they're steps.
Without those steps, almost impossible.
First you identify some billionaires, then you figure out what they did to be worth a billion dollars.
Those are steps that are bringing you closer.
Use the first result to decide the second step instead of planning the entire path in advance.
Listen, people that have made a billion dollars didn't just wake up one day and have the entire plan laid out.
You can copy what others have done, but your journey is not going to look exactly like anyone else's.
Now, if you can't possibly fathom the billion-dollar example, then make it smaller.
Do you think you could realistically make a million dollars?
Some people can believe that.
Some people can't.
The point is not the bigness of it.
The point is, if you can't imagine yourself making a million dollars, then back it up farther.
You can back it up so far that what if you simply said, my goal is to make an extra hundred dollars a month within a year.
That is realistic.
There's lots and lots of people that figure out how to do that.
You want to figure out a way to make an extra hundred dollars a month, and you're giving yourself twelve months to do it, to create, to get there.
There's lots of different ways to do it.
That is realistic, but not until you take the first step.
What's the first small step there?
The first small step on making an extra hundred dollars a month is, maybe you find somebody that's figured out how to make an extra hundred dollars a month.
Maybe you look for ways, for side hustle ideas, or ways to make a little extra money.
Maybe you figure out how to increase your skill or value so that wherever you work will pay you an extra hundred dollars a month.
There's a lot of different ways.
So the first step would be identifying some different ways you might be able to do that.
The point is, if you just wish you could make an extra hundred dollars a month within a year, nothing's going to happen.
It's just a wish.
That's not a step.
Take the first step.
Take action.
That's how you get there.
Momentum, confidence, and clarity often appear after movement begins.
Don't wait for momentum.
Don't try to create it.
Don't try to willpower it.
Don't wait for confidence.
Don't wait for clarity.
Take the first step, the first small step, then create the next small step, and the next small step.
That's called momentum.
You've got started.
Momentum wouldn't have happened if you hadn't got started.
Don't worry about being confident about it.
Take the first step.
Make it so small that there's no excuse.
Make it so small it's an easy win.
Then get the next easy win.
And, you know, after you stack a dozen easy wins together, maybe there's some confidence coming that, hey, I can do this.
I can get these small steps.
Don't wait for clarity.
You know what helps clarity?
Take a small step, you see what happens.
Take the next small step, you see what happens.
That's how you get clarity.
So that's the challenge.
Take one first step today on any goal that you want to accomplish.
Please like and subscribe.
This is Wes with Your Life Systems.
Thanks for being with me.