The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with the First Step

Have you ever had a huge task set before you, a task that was so big you found it was difficult to get started?  It was just too much!  I’ve had that.

That Big Pile
I had a huge pile of bills and other documents that needed to be filed.  I knew it needed to be done.  I wanted the room to look neater and not have these piles of paper laying around, but it just seemed huge and something I never really had the 5-6 hours to dedicate to doing the task.

The problem was, however, that every week I put it off because it felt too big, it got bigger.

Finally, I decided to just do.  I never did find that 5-6 block of time to get the filing done, but I did find 10-15 minutes a day when I could do it.  A few weeks later, I had a nice neat room and all the papers were filed away.  Then it was just a matter of taking a few minutes each day to make sure I continued to file the new papers that would come it.

This is Normal
We’ve all done done things like this.  We don’t suddenly become doctors, great salesmen, or pastors overnight.  We go to school for years, slowly getting the knowledge and training we need.  Most diets don’t cause you to lose all the weight in a week, rather you shed a pound here and a pound there until one day, you’ve reached your goal.

When the end goal seems too big, that’s when you need to just start and take the first step.

Focus on that first step.  We can all take one step.  That’s not too, much.  Then once you’ve taken the first step you can take the second…and so on.  Little by little you make progress and before you know it, you’ve accomplished that goal that seemed so overwhelming.

SEO Can Feel This Way Too
The same can be said of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  As you think about the things that need to be done, it can seem overwhelming.  You need to do keyword research, optimize every page of your website, create good content, engage people on social media, get new links, and so on.  SEO can seem too big.

Unfortunately, too often we see something that seems too big and we just don’t even try.  A year later we find ourselves in the same situation, with a website that has little to no traffic and the task of changing that with SEO still seems so big.  The truth, however, is that if we’d started that year ago and just done one step at a time, things would look very different and we would have made significant progress on our SEO.

My Challenge to You
If you are one of those people who knows you need to be doing something to reach more people and market your website, but you haven’t done anything because the task just seems too daunting, my challenge to you today is to start today.  It doesn’t have to be a big step, but take a step.  Then take another step tomorrow…and the day after that.  If you keep at it, you’ll be amazed where you end up.

If even those first small steps feel too big for you, your other option is to ask someone to help you.  We’d love to do that.  That’s our purpose, to help you to succeed.  If you know you need to do something, but want that help, please click this link and submit a consultation request and we’ll be in touch with you to help you take that first step…and all the steps after.

Share Your Thoughts:

• What has kept you from getting started on the marketing of your website?
• Are you willing to commit to start taking those first steps?  If so, comment below and put it on record.

Kurt Steinbrueck

OurChurch.Com Director of Marketing Services

Kurt serves as OurChurch.Com’s Director of Marketing Services, bringing over 20 years of expertise in search marketing, and has developed numerous marketing services and served hundreds of churches, schools, ministries, and businesses.

He has authored more than 500 articles on the subject, contributing to platforms like the Christian SEO Guys blog and Church Marketing University, and is an active participant on LocalSearchForum.com.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kurt is an ordained minister, serving as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL, demonstrating his commitment to both faith and community. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from Georgia Southern University. He also holds a Specific Ministry Pastor Certificate and a General Pastor Certificate from Concordia Seminary.