Steps

Some of my favorite thoughts and ideas revolve around the concept of steps. There are a certain number of steps that need to be taken to accomplish a given task. At times I try to identify and organize these steps. It helps me think more clearly and give me some direction. Below are several steps-related concepts I've compiled throughout the years.


"Little steps leading to bigger steps"

I attribute this quote from the movie 'Contact', though I'm sure the exact line of dialogue is different from the quote. Nevertheless it's a fascinating idea. In the movie, the alien tells Jodie Foster that it will take time before mankind will learn about the true nature of the universe and get in contact with other intelligent life. It takes little steps leading to bigger steps. One small step at a time to achieve great things. I remind myself of this phrase when I get impatient and want big things right away. It takes a lot of little steps.


"One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

These were the words that Neil Armstrong intended to say after stepping on the moon. Unfortunately, either he forgot to say the word "a" from "a man", or the syllable got lost in transmission. So history books will record it as "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" which doesn't make sense. The original unsaid quote has much more meaning. The idea is to take one major step that causes a direction change and leads to dramatic results. For instance, making the decision to read a page of a book that will change your life. Or having the courage to leave a bad relationship. Only one small step for a man.


"One step back, two steps forward"

I identified this trick only recently, though I've been unknowingly following this pattern for years. What usually happens is I encounter a major setback or failure, it could be an illness, or losing a big game, or a heartbreak, or a financial loss. It is painful at first, it feels like all your progress has halted and that you're falling backwards. But failure has interesting side effect. It makes the brain more receptive to making radical changes, your mind becomes a sponge soaking in new ideas. Generally, the more sick and tired you are, the more tired you are of being sick and tired.

What happens is you have a tendency to overcompensate for the failure and this leads to great benefits. Like the amateur boxer who loses his first match which causes him to train harder and have a killer instinct, and this makes him a champion. Without the original loss, there is no motivation to make changes to become a better fighter. The pattern is failure, then learn, then overcompensate.