Tiny Actions, Repeated Often, Lead to Extraordinary Outcomes

Sometimes when I set a goal for myself, it can feel impossible in the moment. Too big. Too far away. Too unclear. But I’ve learned that the feeling of “impossible” usually comes from not knowing where to start — not from the goal itself.

A young colleague at work recently reminded me of this. He’d resigned but didn’t know what he wanted to do next. He was torn in different directions, overwhelmed by possibilities.

So I asked him, “What do you have in the pipeline?”

He rattled off a list — practical, sensible, expected. I listened.

When he finished, I asked, “And what do you really want to do?”

His whole posture changed. His eyes widened, he sat up straighter, and with this sudden spark he said he wanted a digital job that would let him work from anywhere in the world while he travelled.

That dream wasn’t in the list he’d rattled off mechanically. It was tucked behind it — the thing he thought was too big to say out loud.

“So why not go and do that instead?” I asked.

He looked at me with that stunned, spinning‑inside look people get when they realise something might actually be possible — not just a wish.

“How?” he asked.

“Define what kind of digital work you want to do. Then start exploring. Make a list of the options that make your heart jump. Look into each one and see which stay on the list. Then go for it — and work out the how as you go.”

“You make it sound so simple, Debbie‑Sue.”

“It is simple,” I said. “But don’t mistake simple for easy. All you need to do is take tiny actions, over and over. Before you know it, you’ve built something extraordinary. Just put one foot in front of the other and keep at it. Some days you’ll stride. Some days you’ll dawdle. But keep moving forward. Oh — and be sure you travel with reliable internet connections.”

Tiny actions, repeated often, build extraordinary things.