I am in the sweet little town of Hot Springs, North Carolina where I came for a little Solo Retreat/Getaway (thanks to my very sweet husband). And, I enjoyed a popular hike up to the top of a cliff known as Lover’s Leap. The Lover’s Leap Trail parallels a section of the Appalachian Trail and hiking that historic section of the Appalachian Trail really got me thinking. As I hiked I was reminded of the words of the old proverb that says the “Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step.” But, since I have been contemplating mini habits for the past 10+ weeks, what came to my mind was “The Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with a Mini Habit.”
The town of Hot Springs is one of the few towns that sits in the middle of the Appalachian Trail which stretches 2,198.4 mi (3,537.98 km) between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passes through 14 states. I know that many people that hike it from one end to the other all consecutively are called “thru-hikers” and that it takes on average about 5 months for people to hike the whole trail. Spring was in bloom in this area of Western North Carolina on the border of Tennessee when I hiked it in early March, so this is the time that a lot of those Through-Hikers have started on their journey.
So, today, I just want to encourage you in whatever area of life you’re trying to make change. A mini habit, as fancy as it sounds, is really nothing more than a step, a single step taken in the same direction on the same path pursuing some lofty aim or goal. When I look at this incredible trail and think of all the people who have hiked the length of the it, I remind myself that their incredible accomplishments can be boiled down to the simple action of taking one step after another. The power of one step is multiplied when you link that step with others n the same direction. Each step becomes a chain that grows and grows enabling you to traverse mountain ranges like the Appalachian Mountains.
Whatever that change is that you need to make: in relationships, in health, in your wealth. The change starts by just making a commitment, making a mini habit. And making a mini habit that is so simple that you can’t even fail on your worst days. I want to encourage you today to make that journey. You can do it. You too could do something great.
You could do something this incredible. It’s not for the elect few. You too can do great things. It just begins with a single step and then taking that step with purpose and intention. And committing to put one step in front of the other, day after day. That’s how you become unstoppable.
