Success is all about small daily actions executed exceptionally well. Zig Ziglar in the book Steps To The Top says: “Success consists of a series of little daily victories.”
People in general want to be gurus, but they do not have the guts to go for what is needed. Some people have just loved their visions, but not the venture.
One would wish there was one big step that could make you get to the top floor, but that is not how it was designed. If there is gold on the top floor, will you not get there because there is no elevator?
I was bred in one of the mountainous places of Zimbabwe, near the famous Matopo Hills. One thing that I love is the view that I have of the panorama. It is good and soothing. There is one thing that I have noted concerning getting to the mountaintop. I could not fly up. I could not jump up, but it was one step at a time. There are some people who have just loved the soothing feeling of being on the mountaintop, but they have not wanted to take the steps needed for one to reach that top. Whatever top you have dreamt of, it takes some steps to reach it.
One brick at a time
Let me just give you this picture of an important set-up: One day it was suggested in our new church that each member should bring a brick to build. Let’s suppose there were 100 congregates and each one brought a brick each Sunday. How many bricks would we have per week, per month, per year? Let us do some maths! One brick at a time.
One fish at a time
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When we go fishing with a rod, we can catch one fish only at one time. At the end you will have enough fish for food, after you have been throwing the rod several times into the water. It takes patience to get what you want. The same principle applies in business transactions. If you invest your dollar, it will increase in time. In marketing, one single sale counts. If your product is good sales, will increase and your profit will multiply. Yes, one step at a time! One minute per day
Investing in your time is very important. Have you heard this saying that time is money? This, therefore, implies that money is not the only thing that carries value, but time does too. So, investing in time is very important and the things you do with the bulk of your time will determine your destiny.
Some people have said that time is an important resource, but unfortunately it is not renewable. Time is ticking away always, so begin to do something, because tomorrow may not come. For you to better your tomorrow you have to take that single step today. Use that minute wisely.
One obvious aspect of life is that people do have differences. For example, some are rich, but others are poor. But there is one thing that we have equitably, that is time, we all have 24 hours per day. This is indisputable! Whether you are rich or poor, it is still the same.
Whether you live in America and I am in Africa, we have equal time. The only difference is how we utilise our time. How are you spending that minute that you have? At times the disparity between the rich and the poor is not that the other has more and the other has less money, but how each one spends his time. It’s one step at a time, start with that minute, value it!
One scripture at a time
Read one scripture at a time. Let us figure this: Suppose the time you read this article you begin to meditate and memorise one verse per day, how many verses would you be having at the end of one week? How about in one month? Let’s talk of one year? To add that value to your faith, it takes one scripture at a time! Influence one person at a time
I have always loved to influence and inspire people to think big. It is in me to see change and improvement take place around me. Maybe you are one like that and if so, let us picture this: Zimbabwe has a population of over 13 million and let us suppose there are 100 inspirational people and each day they strive to reach out for one person. How many people will be reached in a year? Let us talk worldwide, if every born again person was preaching to an individual per day we would experience an unprecedented change and transformation.
Let us suppose in one day you strive to tell one person about Christ. In your life time how many people will you have witnessed to? This world needs people who dream big and win small wars to accrue many medals.
One page per day
To see a book in print is good and very thrilling to the writer, but most writers will agree with me that the act of writing is not a joke. It takes deep thinking, sleepless nights and numerous hours on the computer. This is no joke. There are many potential good writers who are afraid to take a bold step and start writing. Let us figure this again: Suppose you have a good idea to write a novel and you commit yourself to writing one page a day. How many pages do you have in a year? With 365 pages you will be done for a standard novel. Will you not start today? To achieve a thing you need one step at a time. It is time to evoke that “big you” who is slumbering inside of you and start the change that the world has always needed.
One kilojoule of fat per day
There are some people who have struggled to fight obesity, but commitment to exercise will reduce that fat. Stick to one exercise per day; let’s say jogging for five minutes per day. That tremendously reduces fat in your body. Even a few lifts at a gym count if you want your body fit. William Arthur Ward once said: “Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently.”
Drop one bad habit at a time
At times each one of us is infatuated with a bad habit that they do not like. There are things that each one of us struggles with in secret which we do not want the world to know. Smoking is one that comes to mind swiftly. Drop one cigarette at a time. If you are taking two cigarettes in one hour reduce that to one and eventually it will decrease with time and end up at a stage when you say I do not take a cigarette anymore. That reduces lung problems in you and helps you save your money for better use. What addiction do you have? It is not easy, but it is definitely possible to drop it. Drop it before it drops your precious destiny!
Chuck one bad friend at a time
I would like to think one unproductive friend is worse than a multitude of foes especially to your dream. So if you are not able to change your friends it is better to chuck them out before they chop your dream dead. Do you not dream to have a friend like Tony Robbins who will always bombard you with positive words of greatness? Chucking those friends with stinking thinking, harmful addictions and nonconstructive attitudes towards life is not easy, but good to the health of your destiny. So, chuck them out, one by one!
One stone at a time
You might be having a big mountain of a problem before you, but did you know that it is not easy to bring a mountain down at once? It could be a debt. You need to take off one stone at a time until the mountain is down. Adopt the ants’ style; it carries one morsel at a time.
Alternatively, you might be faced with a big problem, but there is a charming quote by Jack Penn which says: “One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.”
It is always one step at a time, buddy! Life has always presented itself in steps. For example, no one was ever born old, but they have to grow in stages; from childhood to adulthood. No one is born a professor, but they have to take steps from crèche up. To greatness you have to take a step at a time. Success is literally based on your daily routine. This is called the law of accumulated effort; where we do small things to accrue greatness. These steps might be small, but very important. If you skip one you might just be risking a heavy thudding downfall. Remember, there is gold on the top floor, someone should go up and grab it. Unfortunately the elevator is not working. So, what do we do? It is one step at a time on the staircase!
●Jonah Nyoni is an author, success coach, leadership trainer and public relations consultant.
Tel: 0772 581 918. Email: [email protected]
