Start Tiny, Win Big. Make the First Step Smaller (Like… Ridiculously Small)
If you’ve ever declared, “Right! This Monday, I’m soooo motivated! I’m going to overhaul my entire life: exercise five days a week, zero sugar, green smoothies, 10,000 steps, and I’ll finally learn what quinoa actually is…” Only to find yourself three days later elbow-deep in a packet of Tim Tams, wondering what went wrong…
Hi. You’re my people. As a card-carrying, gold-medal-winning procrastinator, I’ve spent a lifetime perfecting the art of not starting things. Recently, I heard a story that landed with a thud right in my gut. A woman on Youtube shared something her school teacher once told her: “If something feels too hard to start, the first step isn’t small enough.”
That’s mind blowing to me.
How often do we talk ourselves out of things before we’ve even begun? Starting something new, whether it’s strength training, meal prepping, or finally sorting that terrifying junk drawer, can feel like standing at the foot of Mount Everest. Too much. Too hard. Too complicated.
We don’t fail because we aren’t motivated or we’re lazy or hopeless. We fail because we make the first step too big, too dramatic, or too salad-heavy (haha).
Want to start strength training? Don’t start with a full 60 minute gym routine at a gym that has coloured flashing lights and music going “boom, boom, boom”. Start by doing a couple of squats while brushing your teeth. Or just lay your workout clothes out the night before.
Want to eat healthier? Don’t throw out everything in your pantry and declare yourself sugar-free. Just add one vegie to your dinner tonight. Baby spinach counts. So does frozen broccoli. So does that sad carrot in the back of the fridge.
Want to move more? Don’t aim for 10,000 steps when you’ve been averaging 1,200. Walk around the house during one phone call. March in place while the kettle boils. Dance (badly) to your favourite song.
Small steps feel doable. Almost too doable. But that’s the point. When the first step is so tiny it’s laughable, you stop negotiating with your inner procrastinator and actually do it. And that creates momentum.
You don’t need the perfect time to start. You don’t need mountains of motivation. You just need to start… embarrassingly small.
So here’s your official permission to begin your fitness and nutrition journey with the tiniest, most unimpressive step imaginable. Because that’s where real change begins, somewhere between a mini squat and half a banana.