Baby Steps Are OK

I don’t know about you, but many times I don’t get things started because I feel  overwhelmed by the enormity of a task at hand, I start thinking of all the steps needed to be taken or all the answers I need in order to get results. Whether it is making plans  for when we are no longer around for Jeremy, or just  getting my messy desk under control, I start thinking of all that needs to be done and before long I feel overwhelmed.

When I worked as  a line producer for a soap opera, I had to get a 26 minute show in the can every day. I got used to having “break downs” for each show and a plan for every eventual problem that could come up. The show had to be done. Life may seem as dramatic as a soap opera at times, especially for those of us with children with autism or other special needs. But in reality, real life is a lot messier.  You may have goals –  but unlike scripted shows, you can never be sure of the ending. So trying to think ahead of all the possible solutions to challenges that may come up can feel overwhelming.

So my new mantra for getting unstuck and  moving forward is that baby steps are OK.  I don’t have to have all the steps figured out – the important part is getting started.

Baby steps can be taken even when you only have 15 minutes. The to do list can get smaller. The desk will look less scary with one less pile and a fifteen minute dent in it. Information and possible answers to help plan for a child or elderly parent  can be researched in small doses – as long as all the information is stored in the same place and easily found when needed.

Think baby steps, and you’ll get there. In the end, they add up.