“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Lao Tzu.

A couple of unconnected situations last week helped me to write this week’s blog. When I thought about it there is a thread and connection between them. It displays that we can all draw inspiration from our life experiences if we take the time to reflect and look closely enough.

Firstly, I created some new personal goals last week. Part of my formula and approach to achieving goals is that I break them down into manageable chunks. This philosophy has played a major part in helping me to write and publish two books in the past 3 years.

I know from first-hand experience that over time small consistent actions lead to extraordinary results.

Life is all about margins. There’s often a tiny difference between winning and losing, perceived success and failure, hitting or missing a target. I’m sure you can think of examples from your own life experiences where the tiniest of margins determined the outcome of a situation. Thinking a goal is too large can make us feel overwhelmed, it can keep us stuck and stop us taking action to achieve it.

We all mistakenly think we need to keep taking massive action to get a result or make change happen in our life. The fact is small incremental steps accumulate into massive progress when combined with sustained disciplined action. One small action every day towards a specific goal leads to 365 separate actions. Achievement somehow seems bigger when you look at it like that!

The second situation related to the surprise I felt on one of my daily walks. It had been snowing and then I spotted a lot of daffodils in full bloom in some window boxes attached to someone’s house! It’s still winter here in the UK and very early for daffodils to be in flower!

The sight of the daffodils reminded me of The Daffodil Garden story that I included in my first book Be First Class. It provides powerful lessons for us all and is another example of the value and power of small consistent action steps.

Whilst writing this, I have just realised there is another connection to this blog. It’s provided by my walk and the steps that I take. When we walk it helps us to gradually get to a definite destination and target. Here is the story:

The Daffodil Garden

Every year, high in the San Bernardino mountain range of Southern California, five acres of beautiful daffodils burst into bloom. Amazingly, this special spot, known as “The Daffodil Garden,” was planted by one person, Gene Bauer, one bulb at a time, beginning in 1958. This story originally appeared in Jaroldeen Edwards’ book Celebration! The story contains details of a mother being taken to see the daffodils in bloom by her daughter Julie.

Apparently, Gene Bauer’s house (which was adjacent to the field of daffodils) had a poster on it which said:-

Answers to the questions I know that you are asking:-

  • 50,000 bulbs
  • One at a time
  • By one woman
  • 2 hands, 2 feet
  • And very little brain
  • Began in 1958

Gene Bauer planted one bulb at a time to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Still, this unknown old woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of magnificent beauty and inspiration by planting at least one bulb every day for many years until she got to 50,000 planted bulbs.

The life lessons her daffodil garden taught are:

  • Learn to move towards our goals and desires one step at a time (often just one baby-step at a time)
  • Ensure that we get pleasure from and love the doing
  • Learn to use the accumulation of time

This is what the mother said to her daughter after seeing the flowers in full bloom:-.

“It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Julie, “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!”

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her direct way, “Start tomorrow, Mum,” she said, “It’s so pointless to think of the lost hours of our yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, how can I put this to use today?”

This story also reminds us that we all have it in our gift to change the part of the world and environments that we occupy with our unique contribution.

Is there a task, goal or vision that you are putting off?

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider what action step(s) you could take to make progress towards a personal task, goal or vision that you have.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk