The Next Faithful Step: How Small Steps Lead to Big Goals

Sometimes the Mountain Feels Too Big

You're trying to be a good husband. A good father. You want to provide for your family, be present with your kids, grow professionally, take care of your health, strengthen your relationships, pursue goals that matter to you, and somehow keep up with everything else sitting on your plate.

You know where you want to go. But there are times you're just not sure how you're ever going to get there.

I thought a lot about that recently while climbing Kings Peak, the tallest mountain in Utah. That hike taught me more than I expected. Somewhere between the miles, the rocks, the exhaustion, and finally standing on the summit, I found myself thinking… thinking about life, leadership, fatherhood, those I serve in my business, and the mountains were all trying to climb. Here is one of the lessons that stood out to me.

Getting to the summit was a 2 day, 14-mile hike. King's Peak rises to 13,528 feet a rise in elevation of 4108 feet. It was beautiful. It was exhausting. And there were rocks everywhere along the path.

Every rock, every obstacle, and every difficult step is part of the climb. Progress isn't always measured by how fast we move, but by our willingness to keep moving forward. One step at a time, the journey strengthens us for what lies ahead.

Some sections of the trail were relatively smooth. Much of it looked like this photo, rock after rock after rock.

As I was hiking, I couldn't spend much time staring at the summit. If I did, I was likely to trip over what was directly in front of me.

So, I found myself looking down. Where does my foot go next? That rock, then the next one. And the next one.

Sometimes my stride was long. Sometimes the train only allowed a few inches each step.

But I kept moving.

When Progress Doesn't Feel Like Progress

As we got closer to King's Peak, something strange happened. I knew I was making progress. Every step was technically taking me closer. Yet sometimes I would look towards the summit and feel like I hadn't gone any closer at all.

In fact, there were moments when it almost felt like I was getting farther away. I thought we must be getting close. But then I'd look up. In the distance, King’s Peak was still far ahead. And that could be incredibly discouraging.

And life can feel exactly like that.

·      You've been working on your health for a month. But the mirror doesn't seem very different.

·      You're working on your marriage, but things still feel distant.

·      You're building something professionally. But the results haven't arrived.

·      You're trying to become a better father. And yesterday you lost your patience again.

·      You're working towards a degree, paying down debt, changing a habit, repairing a relationship, or trying to figure out what comes next.

You're taking steps. But the mountain peak doesn't seem any closer. That's when we're tempted to stop. Maybe instead, that's when we need to ask a much smaller question…What is my next small, faithful step?

Faith + Full = Faithful

I've been thinking about the word faithful differently lately. Faith and Full. A step taken full of faith.

I'm not necessarily talking about religious faith. I'm talking about taking an action with enough belief and trust to move forward even when I can't see exactly how everything will work out.

I believe this step matters. I believe it moves me in the direction I want to go.

I trust that I don't need to see the entire trail from where I am standing. I just need to take the next step.

Boyd K Packer once taught this principle using the image of walking to the edge of the light.

Faith doesn't require us to see the entire path. Sometimes, God asks us to take just one step into the unknown, trusting that as we move forward, He will provide enough light for the next.

And then stepping into the darkness. He said:

“Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there's that leap of faith, as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lit ahead for just a footstep or two.”

Sometimes we have to move a few steps into the unknown before additional light appears and shows us where to go next.

I love that imagery. We often want the opposite. Show me the whole trail and then I'll start.

Give me certainty. Show me exactly how this business will work. Tell me that this relationship will get better. Guarantee that I'll lose the weight. Show me how I'll pay for the degree. Prove that all this effort is going to work. Then I’ll move. We want all the answers. We want to see the entire path. Before we've even taken a step.

Make the Step Smaller

This is where I think we make progress harder than it needs to be. We're staring at the summit when we should be looking for just the next step.

·      To get over the next rock, I need to lose 40 pounds becomes, I'm going to put my shoes and walk for 5 minutes.

·      I need to finish my degree. Becomes, I'm going to register for the next class.

·      I need to build this business because I'm going to open my laptop and write for two minutes.

·      I need to fix this relationship becomes, I'm going to sit down and have one honest conversation.

Still too much? Make it smaller.

There were places on King's Peak where the train wouldn't allow me to take a big stride. A three-inch step wasn't evidence that I was weak or failing or falling behind. It was simply the step the terrain or environment allowed.

Life has terrain too. Some seasons allow us to move quickly. Others don't. There's no shame in shortening your stride. Because small steps compound. 1/3-inch step doesn't look like much against a 13,528-foot mountain. But, thousands of small steps will put you on top of the mountain.

Stop Demanding the Summit

This matters when we're helping other people, too. As fathers, spouses, coaches, mentors, leaders and friends, we may be staring at someone else's summit.

We can see where they could go. We may even have climbed a similar mountain ourselves.

Meanwhile, they're just trying to not trip over the rock directly in front of them.

Maybe they don't need another speech about the summit. Maybe they need someone beside them saying. You got this. What's the next small faithful step? Then let that small, faithful step be enough.

Small Steps Lead to Big Goals

Eventually, after thousands of steps, I stood on top of King's Peak. The view is incredible. What made it better was that I was there with my two sons.

A view from the top of Kings Peak!

For a few moments it felt like I was standing on top of the world. The fatigue, sweat, rocks and seemingly endless stretches where I wondered whether we were getting any closer had brought me there.

No single step got me to the summit. All of them did.

Maybe you're looking at a mountain right now. Don't worry about climbing the whole thing today. You don't need to know every turn the trail will take. You don't need enough strength for the next 14 miles. And you don't need to move at someone else's pace.

Look down. Find the next step. Make this step as small as it needs to be.

Then take the next faithful step. And then the next. And then the next.

Your Faithful Next Step

Take a minute and think about one thing you're working towards right now. Maybe it's something you want to change, build, repair, accomplish or become. Don't worry about the entire mountain. Just identify the destination.

Now break it down.

What are major steps that would move you towards it? Then make those steps smaller. And make those steps even smaller.

Then ask, what is one small, faithful step you can take today?

Not next week. Not when you have more time, more confidence, or a better plan… today.

Maybe it takes an hour. Maybe it takes 5 minutes. Maybe it's simply opening the laptop, putting on your shoes, making the phone call, filling out the form, or having the conversation. Whatever it is, find your next rock.

Then take the next step because small steps lead to big goals.