Like many, I found resolutions quickly faded in the reality of a new year. So for a while, I just stopped making them.

And then, about five years ago I began the practice of having a word, or words, for my year or a season.

Words help me listen for small beginnings

These intentional words help me set an intention for the year, rather than hard and fast goals. What I love most about the one word practice is how God speaks into my heart in unexpected ways. In 2020 for instance, my word was WARRIOR. I kept saying, really, God?! but the word served me well as I learned to guard my heart and look to God’s directions for battles to face in my life.

Prior to that, God has reminded me to BE STILL, slow down and listen for his voice. And in a season of much change, I heard LET IT GO.

For 2021, my word is LIGHT. I hear God’s heart reminding me to step lightly into what the year holds for me. I’m challenged to take steady steps forward, to keep making steady progress while trusting he’ll brighten my path as I go.

With this in mind, I wrote Lighten up 2021, about going easy on ourselves and lightening the pressure of the expectations for a new year.

And now, below, I share why I’m excited about celebrating small beginnings!

1. Small beginnings don’t require a set plan

I’m not saying that we mindlessly meander into the year without a destination, but perhaps we don’t have to be so strict about defining our success. Instead what happens if we give ourselves a little grace to define our progress as we go?

Here’s the difference. If my goal (aka destination) is to be healthier, I might resolve to exercise 5 days a week for 30 minutes. If I define success by the number of times I meet my goal, it’s a slippery slope and I can become discouraged. By contrast, if I’m “light-stepping” into a healthier me, I celebrate if I squeeze in a 30 minute walk — and I celebrate if I make it only 10 minutes. I choose daily to make progress, no matter how small.

Small beginnings allow us freedom to enjoy the journey rather than only striving to reach a destination. Without the pressure of a concrete plan, we can’t fail to meet it.

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t have goals. But most of us have such weighty expectations that we walk around feeling like we’ve failed yet again. And this feeling, if we’re not careful, pushes us into a downward spiral of emotional baggage. We wind up overwhelmed, immersed in negative self-talk, and often engaged in self-destructive behaviors to simply feel better.

If we have a small beginnings mentality, we hold our plans lightly and celebrate progress. Whew, pressure’s off.

2. Small beginnings require only little steps

Little steps aren’t as daunting and scary as big ones. So we tend to take more of them, without hesitation. We don’t procrastinate. We move forward a little bit at a time.

By treasuring small beginnings, we allow the new year to gently unfold rather than creating unrealistic expectations for ourselves or others. And, we create the seed of a positive habit that can grow stronger.

3. Big things come from small beginnings

Every bit of self improvement, every project, every creation — begins with a first step, a thought, an idea. Everything needs a foundation. Ancient civilizations built the pyramids and the Great Wall a stone at a time.

And positive habits begin with the intention to accept change, to think differently, to start something.

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.“

James Clear, Atomic Habits

Sometimes the best things, which seem to be unexpected, actually are the result of a small beginning. And as you took many small steps, the big thing came together.

Sometimes we need to look backwards

It’s much easier to celebrate our small beginnings when we look backwards to see how they’ve grown. Here are a few growing habits that I’m celebrating from the past year or two:

• Taking my vitamins. This was such a hard one for me! I know, many people do this regularly, without a problem. Just do it, right? To be fair, they can make me nauseous and so I just avoided it. My small beginning was to invest in good quality vitamins, put them in a weekly “medi-minder,” and put it in the drawer with my hair dryer. Now, every day when I take out my hair brushes and the dryer, I also pull out my vitamins and take them. Small beginning, daily practice, now a habit.
• Exercising. For years, I set lofty exercise goals, started off strong, and ended up letting exercise slide to nearly last on my list (even my favorite pilates). About two years ago, my husband and I decided to prioritize our daily walks. We set a consistent 6am start time, increased the length of the walk to about two miles, and dedicated the time. This year, in addition to walking, we’re both focused on our own small beginnings to add in cardio or core strength. And, I’m getting back to my pilates even if I have to do it online! Small beginning, supportive partner, increased steps every day.
• Relaxing. Sounds strange, but relaxing doesn’t come naturally to me. Perhaps this is why when I first started selecting words, my words were BE STILL. In 2020, I realized one of the battles I needed to face was finding a healthier way to relax and de-stress than sitting down with a glass or two of wine every night. And so on May 1, I began with a 21 Day Reset. That small beginning led me to a wonderful group of women that are becoming life-long friends. And I’ve learned so much about relaxing into the person I’m meant to be rather than someone relying on an unhealthy and potentially addictive habit. Small beginning, healthy connections, learning to relax naturally.

What would you like to start?

If you have a big dream in your heart, I encourage you to give it a small beginning. Consider letting go of the pressure you put on yourself or allow others to put on you. Instead, just focus on a small step you can take in this moment, today. Remember, you’re enjoying the journey at your pace.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”

Zechariah 4:10

So, go start something! Take a small intentional step in a direction you think you’d like to go. And then tomorrow, take another. I think you’ll be surprised to see how far you go.

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