Only the next step counts

While on vacation I was doing a run consisting of eight intervals of running for a minute interspersed by intervals of recovery for a minute. The runs were guided by an app.

After a few intervals the coach was asking how many runs were still left. And before I could come up with an answer, she answered herself: „Just one — the next one.“

This is a powerful concept. Instead of focusing on the eventual target, focus on the next immediate step. This is all that is needed in that moment. You can even break this down further: The only thing that is important is the next step, literally. And then the next one.

This can also be applied to a lot of other things. For example, you see the kitchen sink full of dishes and are horrified how long this will take and you will never get this done and you would rather do something else and — stop! Just take a cup, rinse it, clean it, dry it and put it in its place. Don‘t burden yourself with all the other dishes. It‘s only this cup. And once you are done with that cup, then there is another one, and it’s just the next one.

Of course, this is also why the next action from David Allen‘s Getting Things Done works. Breaking down projects into steps and doing the next step is all that’s needed to move towards the project‘s target.