Fearless Action: How One Small Step Leads to Big Wins

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~ Lao-tzu

The Dream of Independence

When I was young, whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always tied to a profession that would give me as much control over my life as possible. I never wanted to work for someone else. My greatest desire was to own my own company and be in charge of my own life.

Of course, like most people, I did work for someone else when I first entered the workforce at 14. But it wasn’t until I was married and we had our first child that my husband and I took our first step toward entrepreneurship—we opened our first company. That’s a story for another day, but I share it because it was the beginning for us…our single step.

The Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster

Since taking that first step, we’ve been on the entrepreneurial roller coaster. If you’ve never been on that ride, let me tell you—it’s not for the faint of heart. Some months you’re soaring with the eagles, and the next, you’re wallowing with the worms. Eating ramen noodles vs. food in the fridge. Paying all the bills on time vs. getting shut-off notices. It has been quite the ride.

Embracing Failure as a Teacher

In Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki states:

“Success is a poor teacher. We learn the most about ourselves when we fail, so don’t be afraid of failing. Failing is part of the process of success. You cannot have success without failure.”

That has certainly been true for us. We’ve had several businesses fail and some that have kept us barely above water. But I can say without hesitation—failure has been a huge part of our success. When you fail, you learn invaluable lessons about yourself, your spouse, your resilience, and your market. If I had a dime for every lesson I’ve learned along the way, I’d be rich from just that!

Keep Trying, Keep Moving Forward

I’ve honestly lost count of how many businesses we’ve launched—or nearly launched—over the past 25 years. But the failures don’t matter. What matters is that you keep trying. Do you want to be the person who lets reality drain the dreams out of your life, or the one who makes your dream a reality? It’s time to take that first step—your single step.

The Importance of Listening to Yourself

Years ago, I was at a point in my life where I felt I needed to be more active and find something grounding for me. Yoga seemed like the perfect thing. I had a plan to incorporate several practices into my routine that I knew would help me feel healthier. Unfortunately, I mentioned this plan to someone I respected, and they told me to focus on just one aspect of it. Sadly, I took their advice, and here I am years later, wishing I had followed my heart and done what I knew would be beneficial for me…because I never started any of it.

This experience taught me an important lesson—not just about fitness, but about life and business: listening to your gut and taking action is key. Oftentimes, the best thing you can do is take that first step without telling anyone about it.

Finding the Right Mindset

Lately, I’ve been focusing more on my health. Better diet, more exercise, more stretching…you get the idea. I watch what others are doing — for me that looks like watching clips of workout routines. Some exercises I think to myself “There’s no way” and others I think “I can do that!” Find the way to get yourself into the best possible mindset!

The Small Group That Takes Action

This is true for everything that’s worthwhile. Even after experiencing incredible success in our latest business venture, it was still hard to believe that we could create that level of success again doing something else. But here’s what I’ve realized: most people are either dreamers (who never take action) or those who are afraid to dream at all.

Do you know what that means for you?

It means there’s a very small group of people who actually take action and go for it! And even better—no one else has your exact set of skills and life experiences. You have an extremely high chance of succeeding at whatever you want to venture into…you just have to get started.

Take the First Step

What have you been dreading starting? Chances are, it’s only hard because it’s the thing you really need to do.

Go get ‘em, friend. The world needs you to show up. Take the step, even if it’s small. Just begin. Because everything—every success, every breakthrough—starts with one tiny step.