Every Step Counts — Even the Little Ones
Every action, every step you take can lead you a little closer to the kind of work you want to create — even the small, seemingly insignificant ones we so often overlook.
I have to remind myself of this a lot. I find it’s very easy for me to catch myself in a loop of self-judgement where it feels as though nothing I do will ever be enough. I regularly discount the little things I do on a daily basis and it can be hard for me to see my own progress. If it’s not contributing to some higher purpose, I ask, what is the point?
What is the point?
Last week, I was working on a short story. At the beginning of January I started a free course with my writing teacher, Sarah Selecky. It’s called Six Weeks, Six Senses — every week for the first six weeks of this year, Sarah sends us an email with a prompt to write something and invites us to explore one of the senses. We have the opportunity to do as much or as little as we like. For me, I’ve been challenging myself to complete a short story with every prompt, however long or short that may be. I’ve written one story that was over 9000 words, one that was maybe 1700 words and a few in between. It’s been fun; I am enjoying myself.
Still, last week I found myself asking, What is the point?
At this point, these stories aren’t contributing to any long term project that I know of. I’m not even sure if they’re something I’d submit for publication. Not because the quality of writing is so terrible, but because honestly, I’m not sure they’re the kind of story that would get published. At least, not in literary magazines. My writing style tends to be a little too mundane or human to catch a lot of attention in the art world; that’s not why I do it. I write to connect and tell stories that are meaningful to me, which means they aren’t always valued by gatekeepers.
So I ask myself, What is the point?
Showing up
At this point, I remember the thousands of hours I’ve spent writing over the years. Beyond every class I’ve taken or every article I’ve read on the subject of craft, the thing that has made me good at what I do is the showing up. That’s the most important part. Through doing, I learn. I may not see how these stories directly contribute to my writing career in this moment — they may not be my current work-in-progress and they may never be published or see the light of day beyond my computer screen. But I’m enjoying myself. I’m writing because I love telling stories, and maybe that is enough.
We never know how one small action we take can lead to something larger.
I’ve experienced this dozens of times in my life. An application for a program I’m not even sure I’m qualified for turns into a pivotal experience. A conversation grows into a friendship. A new city I travel to feels like home.
Every step you take is leading you closer to (or further from) the kind of person you want to become. Don’t discount the things you feel called to, and remember how much you’re already doing. This is the journey. And maybe, just maybe, the journey is the point.
A gentle nudge: take one small action towards something you’ve been contemplating lately. Feeling called to read a particular book? Go buy a copy. Have the desire to write a novel? Start by sitting down and writing for ten minutes today. Let it be random. Let yourself flow with what comes. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you start.
As a poet, writer, and artist, Maia Thom works with words to create spaces for people to breathe and come home to themselves. In 2020, she published her first anthology, Kitchen Table Talks: Simple Reminders + Thoughts on Life. You can find her on Instagram as @maia.thom where she shares poetry, art, and practical wisdom to offer daily moments of calm.
