Overwhelm can be paralyzing. And as I mentioned in my post “Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes,” fear can be an underlying factor to that overwhelm.
Today I’d like to talk about a method that has helped me move through my fear and get things done. It’s called the Next Tiny Step (NTS) and was developed by New Zealander Richard Ralston.
What is Next Tiny Step?
Here’s how Richard describes it:
“Next Tiny Step Method is most effective when you identify a Single, Easily Doable, Tiny Action that you commit to do the next time you start working on your project or goal.
“Your Next Tiny Step should be an action so tiny that it is almost impossible to make an excuse to not do it.
“Because a Next Tiny Step is so tiny and easy to do it eliminates feeling stuck, fearing doing the wrong thing, decision fatigue, overthinking, and procrastination so you can start making progress fast.”
Often that tiny step is as simple as sitting down at my computer and opening Scrivener…or my browser if I need to do research…or Quickbooks Online if I have financial work to do.
What It Helped Me Accomplish
This method helped me:
- get unstuck on my current WIP,
- record royalties due in Quickbooks,
- research, pitch, and land a big podcast interview,
- and more.
Now I apply this method to nearly every project I have, but most especially with the ones on which I tend to procrastinate. NTS helps me make swiss cheese of my work and relieves any overwhelm or fear I might be feeling about the project.
Your focus is often at the heart of your overwhelm. When you’re focused on everything that needs to be done, feeling overwhelmed is almost guaranteed.
But the Next Tiny Step allows you to focus on a tiny portion of the project rather than the whole. When you complete one tiny step, then set the next tiny step, then another, then another. When you focus on one next tiny step at a time, there is no overwhelm, and before you know it, your project is completed.
Next Tiny Step in Action
I’ve seen NTS in action since last September when I started leading a progress pod, an accountability group system that Richard Ralston developed for online memberships such as Christian Book Academy of which I’m a part.
The NTS helped my pod members consistently move forward with not only their writing projects but also with their website, their social media, their author bio, book research, and even getting their personal taxes done. That’s right, you can apply NTS to any project/task that needs done but you are struggling to do.
It works!
Why don’t you give it a try with that project that isn’t going anywhere? But remember, your next tiny step must be a single, easily doable, tiny action that you commit to. Schedule it on your calendar just like you would a doctor appointment. Scheduling it—or putting it on your to-do list—gives you that little extra oomph to your commitment.
To learn more about progress pods visit RichardRalston.com.
(This post contains affiliate links.)