Have you ever witnessed a baby learning to walk? An extraordinary amount of effort goes into finding balance, shifting weight, and lifting their foot up – just a bit. Then they lock in make eye contact and start making small “baby steps” toward upward mobility. Before long they are running at full speed and it is very hard to keep up. It is super fun to watch.
Check out the video below of my granddaughter Hannah. Just look at everything that is going on as she builds her confidence.
- A willingness to find joy with small wins.
- Determination to keep trying.
- Happiness and pride with any progress she makes.
I’m a big fan of micro adjustments or “baby steps”.
When I was a charity executive, I knew that #tinygains (as my friend Liz Rejman calls them) can add up to BIG results.
Here are few real examples, for work or at home.
At Work
Part of your strategic plan might call for advancing a philanthropic culture. When I was a Director of Fundraising, it drove me nuts that when someone called and wanted to make a gift they would get transferred to the donations department and sometimes put through to voicemail. So we taught folks how to fill out a donation form. When someone wanted to make a gift, everyone was able to say yes! Suddenly everyone was on the “fundraising” team and got to feel the joy of someone wanting to invest in their work.
Another common frustration with charity folks is a database that is “mess”. It is often assumed that a new system is required, so cleaning up data keeps getting punted down the field.
Unless the internal data hygiene habits change, that new expensive database will also become a “mess”. What would happen if you prioritized spending 30 minutes a day cleaning up your data? Just 30 minutes. Everyday! Before you know it, you are very likely to be raising more money because your data base is cleaner, you are communicating with your donors better and prospects are easier to find.
At Home
These micro adjustments can also work in your personal life. Whether you are striving to be healthier, more active, or even learn a new skill - start small. As James Clear writes in his book Atomic Habits - build a daily habit. Here are a few micro habits that I started – one at a time – that have been transformative for my mental and physical health.
- One glass of water every hour.
- Minimum 20-minute walk outside, preferably in a forest, once a day.
- Resting if I feel tired.
- Writing in my journal first thing in the morning.
- Swapping veggies for carbs – a couple times a day.
Call on self-compassion. Pick one small habit to start your transformation.
It doesn’t take long for babies to start walking, then running then becoming Olympians! Moving from baby to fast paced toddler is a massive shift. Let’s learn from Hannah and pursue tiny steps forward that take us closer toward the next big thing.
What tiny gains do you need to start today to move the needle forward. I’d be happy to cheer you on. I’m sure you can do it. You just need to decide to try.
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Charity executives are tired, overworked, fearing burn out and being expected to deliver more with less. I’m Kimberley. I’m a former charity executive, AFP Master trainer, hold two internationally recognized coaching certifications and and I help people like you:
✅ Get Clarity.
✅ Find a private space to sort through competing priorities.
✅ Time to think, pause, breath and not know what you are doing...for about an hour.😍
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