Principle #7 of 9 in the Art of Encore Living series.
For a long time, I believed that meaningful change required dramatic action.
A bold decision.
A clean break.
A perfectly designed plan.
Then life taught me otherwise—twice.
The first lesson came through my body.
Years ago, overweight and approaching fifty, I decided I needed to reclaim my health. Not someday. Now. I didn’t start with a transformation plan or a fitness regimen. I started with a walk.
One mile.
Every day.
That was it.
No gym membership.
No dramatic announcement.
No “before” photos.
Just a single mile.
Over time, the mile became two. Then three. Then, eventually, five. I lost seventy-five pounds—not because I went big, but because I stayed small long enough for momentum to do its quiet work.
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The second lesson came through my work.
When I finally decided to stop vacillating and build a coaching business, I didn’t launch a brand, build a funnel, or draft a business plan. I opened a Google Doc. I wrote a simple offer. I added a PayPal link. I sent it to people who already trusted me.
That was the whole move.
No logo.
No website.
No certainty.
Just one small, honest step.
Both moments taught me the same thing:
Big change doesn’t begin with big moves.
It begins with small ones you’re actually willing to take.
Most people stuck in midlife transition aren’t lazy or incapable.
They’re overwhelmed.
They try to redesign their entire life in their head before changing anything in reality. They mistake thinking for progress and planning for courage.
Perfectionism disguises itself as preparation.
Overplanning masquerades as wisdom.
But underneath both is fear.
Fear of getting it wrong.
Fear of wasting time.
Fear of committing to something that might not work.
So they wait.
They keep refining the plan.
They keep researching options.
They keep imagining futures instead of inhabiting the present.
And nothing changes.
That’s why this principle matters so much:
Encore living doesn’t ask you to go big.
It asks you to go small—and go now.
“Go small” isn’t about lowering ambition.
It’s about lowering resistance.
Small steps are powerful because they:
Reduce friction
Increase follow-through
Generate feedback
Build confidence
Create momentum
Small steps invite action where big plans invite avoidance.
And momentum is everything.
Once you’re in motion, clarity improves.
Energy increases.
Fear loosens its grip.
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The tragedy is that most people never experience this—not because they can’t, but because they keep waiting for a move worthy of their self-image.
But the work your life is calling you to do doesn’t require heroics.
It requires honesty and humility.
The humility to start where you are.
The honesty to take the next step you won’t talk yourself out of.