Setting the seeds for action is a phrase that refers to people beginning to take actions with small steps in preparation for this larger goal in mind. For example, if the significant goal was that you wanted to start reading for two hours each day, you could begin reading for five to ten minutes. Over time, it will be easier to read for long periods, and you will reach this goal. This big goal is simple compared to others. One goal I had a long time ago was to help my body recover better. Today, I would still agree that there is more I can do, but I have done small things to reach this goal. At first, I began stretching daily for about twenty minutes. I progressed to learning about healthy exercise routines. After figuring out safe protocols to exercise, I wanted to do more things for my body. I began getting massages, swimming, using saunas and steam rooms and purchasing other recovery devices. Through this process, I have crept further towards my goal due to my actions three to four years ago.
One principle I have heard from a nutrition coaching course called Precise Nutrition level 1 certification was that a daily 5-minute action could create lasting change. The only thing you needed to do was to do this action consistently. For cooking, you could spend a few minutes preparing meals or brainstorming new recipes or ways to make existing dishes more delicious. You may not see results at first, but the more you do this action, the more progress you will make towards a goal of cooking. Keep in mind that 5 minutes a day can have lasting effects as long as you do it consistently, preferably daily. Knowing that 5 minutes can have effects, imagine spending an hour or two hours towards your goal each day. By putting in some time each day, you can set seeds for long-term goals and begin taking action. The good thing about this short time interval is that it barely takes time out of your day, and you will be happy you are gradually moving towards your goal. The more time you spend, the better, but make sure you are doing something to keep the momentum going towards your goal.
Another principle I am taking from the same course is that putting in 10% effort is enough to create change. You may think that starting your efforts now would require 100% of your effort all the time. The thought of doing an action daily towards a long-term goal seems tiring, but this idea is incorrect. It does not require that much effort for lasting change. I always had the assumption that I had to be working at my highest levels for any hope of progress. About once a week, I would burn out and feel like I threw away all my progress to a goal. I will be honest and say that I still have difficulty finding this appropriate balance, but I burn out less frequently now. The truth is that we can work at much lower levels to ensure a balance and prevent days where we feel exhausted. Thus, when setting seeds for action, you do not have to put forth that much time or effort towards a goal.
You can add more time or effort spent working towards a long-term goal but make sure you keep an appropriate balance between relaxation and being busy! The vital thing to take from this post is doing something, no matter how small, daily to progress towards a positive outcome. The more you do these actions; you feel empowered to keep doing them. This feeling of empowerment will increase as you begin to give evidence of progress throughout your daily life. Before you see this evidence, it is essential to understand that you are getting closer to this overarching goal. The feeling of satisfaction from being productive and never exhausting yourself is what keeps me going each day in pursuit of my dreams.
I like to think of myself as a little plant that requires nurturing to fully grow. The more progress I make with small actions, the more the plant is growing each day. I visualize myself growing into this beautiful plant at the end of my goals. But, this can only be achieved with consistent efforts. Keep working towards your goals and one day you will be a radiant flower. I hope you can utilize these ideas in some ways to keep your momentum for positive change.
