I’ve realized that I’ve spent most of my life constantly looking forward—journaling my deepest visions, mapping out my biggest dreams. And instead of leaving me feeling inspired, I’ve often felt an underlying sense of overwhelm.
The more I speak with women in the studio, the more I notice we’re all feeling it—this pressure to arrive at the next big thing, to hit the next milestone, to finally feel like we’re “there.” But in that pressure, we so often forget that true progress doesn’t come from giant leaps—it comes from the small, steady steps we take daily.
I’ve recently started my running journey - and last weekend, I was faced with a 16km run—something I had never done before. I’d never even run past 10km, and the thought of pushing to 16 felt almost impossible. As doubt crept in, the coach in my ear said:
“16km feels overwhelming, so let’s break it down. We’ve got a 2km warm-up, then 5 x 2km sets, and a 2km cool-down. But for now, I just want you to focus on this next kilometre. Actually… just this next stride.”
That slight shift towards the baby steps made me feel immediately in control, calm and capable.
I brought my awareness to just one stride at a time. One kilometer at a time. And before I knew it, I had finished the run—feeling energised, not exhausted.
This was such an a-haa moment for me and I realized, a beautiful metaphor for life.
A message I had needed to come back to for a long time.
I had been so overwhelmed by the big goals—the metaphorical “16km”—and feeling stuck. I wasn’t being present with the smaller actions, the intentional baby steps that would get me there. I was standing at the starting line, consumed by doubt about how far I still had to go.
This is where the power of this Inner Beauty Ritual lies: just focus on one step at a time.
I used to wonder how the women I admired seemed to continually gather momentum and gracefully cultivate success in all areas of their lives. They seemed to float towards their dreams whilst I remained stuck, deflated and overwhelmed wondering how they did it.
I recognize now that they were enjoying and embracing their journeys. They held their vision lightly and put all of their effort into each small steppingstone with joy.
We often fantasize about giant leaps and breakthrough moments, forgetting that every leap is built on a foundation of quiet, consistent effort. It is these small steps that compound—day by day, choice by choice—until one day you look back and realize you’ve built something beautiful.
Know the significance, power and strength in the small actions you take daily, consistently and purposefully. When done with intention, they connect you back to your Innermost self and transform your day-to-day life into something more vibrant, colorful, and fulfilling.
If you have been waiting for grand milestones to feel successful and fulfilled allow this Inner Beauty Ritual to remind you of the momentum already unfolding in your everyday efforts. The power is in this next, small step.
Your willingness to take just one more step forward, no matter how small it feels - is success. You’re not falling behind. You’re building something.
So, let’s loosen our tight grip on the outcome and begin to celebrate the tiny milestones along the way.
What’s one small step you took today?
Sending all my love,
Mia xx