Today, for the first time since having open heart surgery four months ago, I took a run. A jog really. Well, mostly a long walk, with a 2 mile light run tucked into the middle of it. In its moment, it was a big deal. And in fact, if we truly believe that leaps forward are made with little disciplined steps along the way, moments count. And so does not getting lost in them. I am grateful to be alive today. I am proud to have made the effort to invest in my own health and well-being. And, perhaps most of all, I am pleased that I left enough gas in the tank to make another small, disciplined step forward tomorrow.
In our nonprofit work, we often work on big, audacious goals. And that’s great. Vision and passion are critical. But leaps forward really are made through little, disciplined steps along the way. Let’s take a moment to make sure TODAY’s work gets done. Done well — great. Done poorly — better than nothing. Done is done. By all means, try to work in ways that contribute to longer-term objectives. But don’t outsmart yourself. Don’t overthink things. Put one foot in front of the other and you’ll move along the path. Get something done today. One thing. However small, however imperfect. Get it done. You’ll have time to refine your work and adjust your approach tomorrow. Most paths to victory aren’t straight lines anyway. The “imperfect actual,” as I like to call it, always beats carefully planned steps never taken.