S01 Ep52: Take the First Step

This solo episode is about the importance of taking the first step, from Ever Better Podcast host, Lisa Conners Vogt.

Do you ever go through this thought process? “I should try this. I might be good at it. But then again, I might be a total failure.”

“It seems like this would be fun. I’ll meet new people who do interesting things. I’ll have a more interesting social life. But then again, maybe I won’t fit in. Maybe I’ll feel out of place.”

“I’m sure I can figure out how to do that. My friends will be so proud!  They’ll say ‘Look what you’re doing! How awesome!’ But what if I try it and fail? They’ll laugh and say ‘I told you so.’“

“There are so many things to think about. What would I do first? This is way too complicated. I don’t know where to start. I’ll think about this again next week.”

And so it goes. You put off, yet again, that project that deep down, really interests you and could change your life.

Does any of that sound familiar? People go through this all the time when they’re thinking about starting a new project or taking on something new.

The gym tailspin

Are you thinking about joining a gym? I listened to a friend work through a series of questions that stopped her from actually taking the first step of even visiting a gym.

She was caught in a tailspin wondering…

"What gym should I go to?"

"What are people wearing to the gym these days?"

"Do I have to get new clothes? What about sneakers?" "I’m sure I don’t have the right sneakers or workout clothes. Whew! That’s a lot of shopping!"

"I don’t look as good in yoga pants as those women do. Is there another option?!"

"If I join a gym, what will I do there? I haven’t used any of that equipment in years. It’s probably all different."

"Will I do classes? What’s Zumba? What’s Pilates?"

"I’d probably be one of those people who pay the monthly fee all year and never show up."

"When would I go? I’m too busy already!"

Does this sound at all like your thought processes? Are you in the same tailspin about the gym or something else? It could be about taking a college class, playing a musical instrument, finding a new job, starting a business, trying online dating, or creating a blog.

Each of these ventures involves a lot of steps if you stop to break them down. But if you do that, you risk getting caught up in a million details and never taking the first tangible step that will lead to another step, and another.

Don’t get me wrong. I truly believe in project management and have practiced it throughout my career. When you’re working for someone else, you need to establish a start date and an end date, a project budget and think through anything that might derail a project.

However, if it’s a personal project that will stretch you physically, socially, and creatively, you don’t need to know every little step in advance.

You don’t need to know exactly where you’re headed or even how you’ll get there. Once you get started, if you like what you’re doing, you’ll find your way. Tim takes the first step

About 18 months ago, my husband Tim, who has always worked out, wasn’t as fit as he used to be and wanted to improve his cardio fitness.

A few of his friends at work were running, as was his brother, and two of my brothers. And in our area, you can’t drive down the street without passing a group of runners, regardless of the weather.

So Tim thought about running. He did A LOT of reading online and talked to others who ran.

Our chiropractor suggested that he start very slowly with short distances and to not worry about speed. He suggested mixing walking and jogging to let his body adjust to the new workout.

One day, Tim was ready. He stopped researching and decided to start running.

He started by doing a circuit through our neighborhood of about one mile. He ran and walked and ran and walked.

His first time out was more walking than running. And so was his second and third.

He wore the same clothes he had been wearing to the gym. He didn’t buy special sneakers. He just went with what he had. And he kept at it.

The first time he ran through the whole neighborhood without stopping was a big milestone! And then he added a second loop and was eventually able to run two times around without stopping.

Soon, he felt strong enough to venture outside of the neighborhood. His running wardrobe grew. He bought new shorts and a few shirts. Several said “Run” on them. I think they might have given him an extra dose of confidence.

It got cold and he got a hat and gloves and running tights. And then, about 15 months in, he signed up for a 10K, which is 6.2 miles. He hadn’t run that far yet, but he was getting closer to that distance every week, and now he had a new goal.

The week before the race he ran 6 ½ miles - .2 miles further than the course distance.

On race day he ran with 22 thousand others over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Annapolis, MD to Kent Island. That was a great milestone!

This past Christmas, Tim got a special watch to track his miles, his times, his calories, and who knows what else! And now, he’s up to 8 miles.

Because he started slowly and adjusted, he’s never been injured and he’s continuing to build his distance and speed. His new goal is a half marathon. And, I know he’ll get there eventually.

When I look back on this running journey that he’s been on, I’d have to say that his biggest milestone was taking the first step out the door. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t ready to run the neighborhood loop yet. The important thing is that he got started.

He didn’t have the right sneakers, shorts, shirts, watch, hat, gloves, or socks. But over time, he figured out what he needed and slowly built up his running gear.

When he started he didn’t know he would do the Chesapeake Bay 10K. I kept asking him about doing 5Ks and he would say, “No, that’s not for me. I’m just doing it for the health benefits.” But one day, it was for him but in a bigger way! He skipped right over the 5K and went directly to the 10K!

He didn’t get caught up in figuring out all the details before he got started. He consulted with a doctor and then he stepped outside and TOOK the first step!

I mean, he LITERALLY TOOK THE FIRST STEP!

As Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

That’s what Tim did and that’s what I did when I wrote this podcast.

The first step for this podcast episode

If you’re familiar with my podcasts, you’ll know that I’m not afraid to jump into new projects or subjects, but writing a solo show isn’t something that I do regularly. But, it’s something that I want to do more of in 2017.

This one took me more weeks that it should have to get started. I’ve been creating a list of topics, but I always found something to do other than sit down and actually write.

The first step wasn’t deciding that I wanted to do a solo show, or even making that list of topics. That part was easy. My first step, my first REAL step towards making this happen, was scheduling it on my calendar. Because when I put something on my calendar – I get it done!

And for this step, I have to thank Sarah Shaw, my friend and guest from Ever Better Podcast 37. Sarah helps entrepreneurs market their products and specializes in celebrity placements. She holds group coaching calls for her clients so that they can learn from each other’s questions and from her coaching.

I recently participated in one of her calls and a client asked about the best way of planning for a trade show. Sarah talked about the importance scheduling to the level of detail that helps you get to where you need to be. She explained that one of her clients even schedules when she’s going to do laundry.

Scheduling laundry! What?! That was a lightbulb moment for me.

I’m a big calendar person. Discussions with my podcasts guests are scheduled well in advance and guests get automated reminders in the days before our discussion. I schedule my Pilates and Spin classes and my work days revolve around my calendar. So why didn’t I schedule the time to write a solo podcast?

If I’m going to be my own podcast guest, why not set it up on my calendar so that I get my own automated reminders?! So that’s what I did! My first step in creating this episode was scheduling time for myself to write.

The cool part about my “aha” moment from Sarah is that she has a signature saying: When in doubt, take the next step.”

Sarah says that if you’ve taken the first step and you’ve started on a journey, don’t allow yourself to get stuck! It might not be the perfect next step, but if you take it, you’ll continue to move forward.

And I’m telling you today that if you take the first step, and then the next step, eventually you’ll find that you’re ready to run a 10K, or write a 10th podcast episode, or take your 10th Pilates class, or whatever else you’re thinking about doing.

A first step you can take now

If your calendar is in your phone or your purse, take it out. If it’s hanging on your wall or on your refrigerator, walk over to it. 

Write down when and where you’ll take your next step. After that, schedule your next step. And your next. And before you know it – you’ll be off and running. Don’t get sidetracked by thoughts about what others might think and whether you’ll fail. Who cares what anyone else thinks! You’re doing this for you! And, you’ll be better off for it.

I’d love to hear about how you took your first step to get on your way! Visit the Ever Better Facebook Group and share your first step story to help motivate others.

Discover What's Next

If you’ve taken the first step and you could use some help reaching a larger goal, or if you’re having a hard time getting started, check out my Discover What’s Next coaching program. Or, send me an email at [email protected] to learn more about how we can work together.

I'm putting together a Discover What's Next Workshop in the D.C. area in March. Let me know if you'd like to get more information by sending me an email.