We are wired to chase the quick hits. They get rewarded on social media and are more immediately visible to managers in the workplace.
But the more I work, the more I realized the slow burns are what get you places. Even those things that feel sudden or the result of a flash of inspiration, are often the result of countless small decisions that have got to that place.
When you look below the surface, giant leaps aren’t really giant leaps at all. They’re a series of ordinary choices that suddenly become noticeable. If you look for the magic moment, you’ll miss how ordinary becomes extraordinary.
https://fs.blog/small-steps-giant-leaps/
I recently started using this tool to help track, prod, and poke at consistently doing the things that help cultivate the slow burn. The tool is, basically, a habit tracker.
By including foundational things like exercising and taking walks each day, I’m hoping to build momentum that then feeds into slow burn-type activities like writing. Here are the “lights” I’m starting out with:
- Cardio for 10 minutes
- Clean out inbox + pause
- Write for 10 minutes
- 10 push ups
- Take a daytime walk
- Max 30 minutes on FM (a ridiculously time-sucking soccer management game I should have grown out of by now)
- Meditate for 5 minutes
- Plan the next day
- Clean out inbox
- Take an evening walk
This has extended to career decisions as well. Previously, I’ve been guilty of going on a bit of a rampage of applying for jobs when my current role got frustrating. Lately, though, I’ve been trying to get into the mindset of “if I’m going to do this right, it should take a little while.”
The challenge is to sustain this mindset. How do we remember the slow burn in moments of frustration? How do we make sure the small steps are heading in the right direction?
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