Baby steps to success is the answer. I am a tortoise. A slow-moving, methodical breed of animal. While I sometimes look like a hare, because I’ve accomplished a lot, every success has been the result of me taking small, manageable, consistent, baby steps. Sometimes it feels like for every two steps I take, I take one step backward. But regardless, my job is to keep moving ahead.
Our culture is one of quick success—so we think. You see someone winning an Oscar or an Emmy that you never heard of. You make the assumption that they just came on to the scene. But the truth is, for most of them, it took years to get to that place. It took years and many tiny baby steps to reach that first goal.
Everyday see hear podcasts, read books, and see headlines that shout, “Self-esteem in 30 days,” “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days.” We live in a culture that loves grand gestures, crash diets, 30-day bootcamps, quick fix juice cleanses, detox teas, and more. If it promises a quick fix, we want in. But if you’ve ever tried one of these, you already know the truth—quick doesn’t stick.
Real health and financial stability don’t happen in leaps; they occur in layers. Think of it like painting a wall. One dramatic coat might look good for a week, but it chips and peels fast if the foundation isn’t solid. Thin, steady coats—applied patiently—last for years. Your health and your finances are the same way. By experiencing a slow, gradual process of learning to make smart daily choices, you strengthen your foundation and your resolve—even in the event of a step back.
Big Changes Burn Out Fast
Baby steps to success. We get super excited about big new changes: a new gym membership, a color-coded meal plan, a $300 blender that promises a new you, a new YOU. But one thing to remember is that new OU occurred over time. Our initial excitement is a sprint—it bursts out of the gate and runs out of breath quickly. Because for many of us, the quick fix doesn’t last.
Consistency, on the other hand, is a marathoner. It doesn’t dazzle at first, but then fade because we didn’t do the in-between work to maintain. This applies to both our health and our finances. If we lose weight, how often does it return if we don’t exercise and reduce our calorie intake. Regarding our money, if we clean up our finances, but continue to send beyond our means, then nothing has changed. Implementing small baby steps, which incorporate learning a new way of being, not only gets us to the goal, but builds self esteem.
Small Choices
Baby steps, small daily choices are deceptively powerful because they are sustainable. It’s like building a sturdy foundation to any building, even one build with a LEGO® set.
- Ten extra minutes of stretching while watching the news.
- One extra glass of water before each meal.
- Taking a walk while catching up with a friend instead of sharing a meal.
- Going to bed 20 minutes earlier so your body can recover.
- Track your spending— write everything you spend money on.
- Create a simple budget for yourself, one you an keep.
- Get a jar and everyday filling it with the change in your pocket and include a $1 bill.
- Start making small payment to reduce your debt.
None of these will make headlines. But together, they quietly rewire your body and your brain. They build stamina, improve mood, sharpen focus, and—most importantly—create an identity shift. You stop trying to be healthy and start simply being someone who makes healthy choices. You stop trying to keep up with the Jones’s, and start simply being financially responsible.
Change is Like Gardening
Here’s a different way to look at change. It’s less like a quick complete makeover and more like tending a garden.
Planting one seed won’t give you food tomorrow. Dumping a hundred seeds into the ground in a frenzy doesn’t guarantee a harvest either. What matters is showing up every day: watering, weeding, attending to the garden. The work is small, repetitive, and often invisible to outsiders—but over time, the garden grows. Your body responds to care the same way. Small acts of consistency—done even when they don’t look dramatic—are what produce lasting vitality.
How to Make Consistency Stick
- Start tiny. Instead of “I’ll run 5 miles every day,” try “I’ll put on my shoes and walk for 10 minutes.”
- Anchor it. Tie new habits to old ones. (Stretch after brushing your teeth. Drink water before opening your email.)
- Forgive slip-ups. Consistency isn’t perfection—it’s resilience. Missing a day doesn’t erase the habit; getting back to it does.
- Track progress visibly. A simple checkmark on a calendar can become its own reward.
Take Away
Health isn’t a single sweeping act—it’s a quiet rhythm. The choices you make every day, the ones so small they seem invisible, are the ones that carry the most weight.
Skip the crash course, the fad, the frenzy. Instead, ask yourself: What is one small thing I can do today that I could still be doing a year from now? Do that, and let consistency do its quiet, powerful work. Feel free to download the Health and Finance worksheet and enjoy your discovery journey.
Francine D. Ward
Attorney-at-Law, Author, Speaker
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