Think Big, Play Small.
There comes a time to freeze-frame you vision, take action, and breathe life into your dream. Maybe that's today?
“Think big and don't listen to people who tell you it can't be done. Life's too short to think small.”
― Tim Ferriss
I awoke this morning thinking about a harsh reality: thinking big all of the time is not the best thing to do. As one who lives at the strategic level in my mind — pondering the big picture, crafting big visions of what is possible, and then working to create them — it is always a challenge for me to stop dreaming and start doing.
Don't get me wrong.
My strategy/vision/big picture approach has long served me well in working with clients. And the most fulfilling part of the work is often helping them create an action plan in pursuit of their big vision — guiding them to think big and then repeatedly take small steps to produce long-term results.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6401b9a5-a5e0-4b4a-b7f5-177d3e27a932_2000x1335.jpeg)
Much as I hate to admit it, that doesn't always happen in my own work.
I’m often driven, motivated, and pulled by the ever-evolving and expanding vision percolating in my brain. It's invigorating and thrilling to flesh out the idea and make it more compelling, more real. It feeds my spirit and creates an energy unlike anything else.
Frankly, it’s fun!
Yet there’s a problem.
You see, the only way to bring any vision to life is to take the small steps every day to make it happen. Step on is hitting the pause button, ending the ideation, and committing to today’s snapshot of the vision so you can get started.
The truth is there are no shortcuts. The work needs to happen. The big ideas need to be translated into first, then second, then third action steps — the small plays executed with focus and intention that begin to bring the big vision to life.
Sure, the vision can always be improved. But seldom do the necessary improvements emerge in isolation. Action is the proving ground, the vetting path, the ultimate test of whether it is possible to do what you’ve dreamed.
Getting started is as simple as it is difficult. Because it requires hitting the pause button on the fun stuff to do the hard stuff. And it opens the doors to learning where you were right and where you missed the mark. But action is the only way to breathe life into your dream.
Today’s Action Advice
Take a look at the vision you're working toward right now and answer this question: How can I go small today and begin breathing life into my dream?
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P.S. While you’re thinking about your big vision, snapshot the moment, and map the path from there. Make the shift from dreaming to doing — you'll be amazed at the clarity you’ll gain, and you’ll go further faster.