By Courtney Smith 
My daughter and I went on a run the other morning, and it started out perfectly.
Sun rising, birds singing, and playlist pumping. All was well. Until we approached the halfway point to turn around and run back.
She had that look of despair. The look of why are we doing this again?
And I felt it too. She wasn’t wrong. It would most definitely be easier to just walk back. And truth is, our finish line did look so unattainable.
Maybe we were looking too far ahead.
We decided to pick something within view to focus on and make that our goal. We set our sights on the streetlight that was about a quarter mile ahead. Suddenly, it felt attainable. When we arrived at the streetlight, we set our next goal of making it to the fire station. Boom. Then another goal. Boom. We did this until we got home and let out a huge sigh of relief.
Not just out of pure exhaustion, but out of satisfaction that we did what we set out to do.
I heard a quote from a running coach that inspired me: “The clock only tells one story. The real victory is showing up when doubt told you not to.”
Let that sink in.
How many little things in life do we not do because it feels overwhelming?
In theory, applying this to other areas of life seems so simple, right?
Setting small goals along the way has freed me from feeling overwhelmed.
For years, I’ve dabbled in writing but was too insecure and overwhelmed to do anything with it. I would sit down to submit an article and talk myself out of it. Every. Single. Time. Those pieces would sit comfortably on my phone or by my nightstand, never to be read by anyone. Only recently, three years later, am I beginning to set small goals to write more. A little every day. An article at a time.
Maybe you, too, are overwhelmed by things that seem insurmountable. Maybe your overwhelm is about bills, health, school, work, marriage, family, or upcoming holidays.
Maybe you keep shutting the door on that garage packed full of hoarded items.
Maybe you turn and look away from that pile of bills on the kitchen counter.
Maybe you keep buying the same junk food items when you want to eat healthier.
Maybe you keep putting off that project deadline at work.
Maybe you keep avoiding reconciling with a loved one.
Maybe you are avoiding that half-completed house project.
Try to start small and stay consistent. Don’t get hung up on the big picture, or analysis paralysis will set in and lead you straight to inaction.
Just breathe and start with your first goal in sight.
Start going through one box at a time in the garage.
Start paying one bill at a time and watch the pile and stress level go down.
Start learning about healthier food options before going to the store.
Start planning how you can tackle that work project before the deadline.
Start finding a time to talk about that tense topic with your loved one.
Start buying the supplies for that house project so you’re ready to start when time allows.
If you’re like me, you need to be reminded of this every day: sometimes it’s those little goals that can really add up in the end.
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