Recently, I watched “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth,” a series exploring various life challenges. In the first episode, Chris tests his limits to manage stress and maintain calm under intense pressure by walking along a crane projecting from a skyscraper. The episode also features Faith Dickey, a 10+ time World Record holder in highlining—an extreme sport where adventurers walk across a rope between cliffs. She describes fear and immense pressure as natural responses and shares the tools that help her cope: breathing in positivity (“You got this,” “Relax,” “Come on”) and segmentation. When the wind blows and the slackline moves, she breaks down the walk into smaller chunks, focusing only on putting one foot in front of the other. This perspective is incredibly powerful.

Embracing Simplicity

The image of Faith walking on the rope, focused on one step at a time, stuck with me. It made me wonder how this approach can be leveraged in real-life situations. As I reflect, I realize we often get caught up in the fear of an uncertain, unknown future and endlessly plan for it. There’s nothing wrong with planning, but we must remember that the reality within our control is only the next action, the next best step, the next best thought, the next best worry, the next best fight, the next best whatever.

Practical Application

Here’s how you can apply this mindset in your daily life:

1. Stay Present: Focus on the present moment and what you can do right now. This helps to reduce anxiety about the future. Tell yourself, “Relax, you got this, breathe, all is well.”

2. Simplify Choices: Limit your options to avoid being overwhelmed. This makes decision-making easier and more manageable. Ask, “What is the next best action I can take in these circumstances?”

3. Continuous Progress: Understand that progress is made one step at a time. Every small action adds up to significant changes over time. Remember, if you’re not taking the next step, you’re stuck.

4. Resilience: Accept that not every step will be perfect. Learn from each action and keep moving forward. Things around us constantly change and are out of our control. Like the highliner, balance as conditions change, working with the change.

5. Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness to enhance your focus on the present. Techniques like meditation and deep breathing can help. If your mind drifts away, go back to staying present.

Conclusion

By adopting this approach, you can navigate life’s challenges with more clarity and confidence. The next best action is always within your reach, and it’s through these incremental steps that we achieve our greatest goals. Remember, it’s not about making the perfect choice every time but about making a choice and continuing to move forward.

If you are interested here’s link to Faith Dickey’s Ted Talk – Deciphering Fear From Intuition 1000 Feet Up: Faith Dickey at TEDxAustin