It doesn’t take a lot for a multi-ton train to derail.

Just a few tiny rocks in the right spot and everything comes to a screeching, messy halt. It’s a tiny factor, if you think about it, but it has the power to create a massive catastrophe.

Why?

Because it’s not actually the rock that derails the train. The rock just creates an imbalance—a disturbance in the train’s movement—that multiplies in force and eventually pulls the train off the tracks.

But enough of physics.

The reason I’m telling you all about this is that those tiny rocks exist in our lives as well. They’re small. They feel inconsequential. They appear harmless in the moment.

But they can lead to a ripple effect of disturbance and imbalance throughout our lives, and eventually derail our train of success.

That’s why the key to success is not in doing more. It’s in recognizing these tiny rocks that lie on your tracks.

Doing more is like adding more carts to the train. Yes, you move a lot more stuff at once. But if the rocks aren’t taken care of, the disaster is even bigger. And trust me, you don’t want a bigger mess to deal with in your life.

Today, we’re breaking down the most powerful tiny rock that can derail your success, so you’re not only aware, but you also know how to deal with it and keep growing!

Let’s get started.

The Problem: We Don’t Think Enough.

Yes, I said that.

In a world full of overthinkers, I’m willing to say that we don’t think enough, and that’s why these rocks end up shaking our world.

There are two kinds of thinking human beings do:

• Unnecessary Overthinking.
• Necessary Planning and Thinking.

We do way too much of the first, and way too less of the second. And that’s why we get stuck.

It’s so easy for us to waste hours thinking about how our partner read our text message but didn’t respond to it. “Are they angry? What did I say to make them angry? Why are they avoiding me? Do they not love me anymore?”

And a thousand other unnecessary questions follow until you get a call, and they say, “Sorry, I was stuck in a meeting. And I thought it would be better to just call you than text.”

Or when your boss emails you to say, “Let’s meet on Friday in the HR office,” your mind goes into overdrive, “What did I do wrong? Am I going to get fired? Oh my god, yes! OH, so what do I do? How do I find a new job?”

And the panic spiral begins.

When Friday comes along, you walk into the meeting with trepidation, only to hear your boss say, “Let’s discuss your increment.”

You see, we take the tiniest of situations in life and make them so big that we have no time to think about the factors that truly matter.

I can say with confidence that more than half of the people in the world don’t wake up thinking, “Well, today is the 319^thday of the year. What can I do today to make it count? What actions would lead me closer to my goals? And are they aligned with my values and role?”

That’s necessary planning and thinking. But we just don’t do it.

And at the end of the day, very few of us go to bed thinking, “How did I make today count? What actions did I compound on by being consistent? What negative actions or thoughts did I put a stop to? And where do I need to improve? What are the challenges I faced and what can I do about them?”

When it comes to our growth and success, we don’t think enough. And we need to.

Because otherwise, we’re going at full speed, but probably on the wrong tracks. That’s hurting our growth more than we realize.

And this is the tiny rock on our tracks: our lack of awareness about the impact of our everyday actions.

The Solution: Thought Mapping

In our lives, things and thoughts can be both cause and effect. It’s not just one.

For example, waking up late results from partying too much the night before, but it also triggers the thought, “My day is already wasted.” That thought then causes actions like feeling angry, agitated, and frustrated. These feelings further lead to poor time management, which makes you feel dissatisfied throughout your entire day.

Thus, everything is a cause, and everything is an effect.

When we become aware of this cycle, we understand the impact our tiny actions have on our growth. We start to consciously choose the cause we want at the start of our days, and we consciously reflect on the effects we get at the end of it.

And because everything is connected, an improvement in your thoughts leads to an improvement everywhere. An improvement in your career leads to an improvement in your relationship. An improvement in your health leads to an improvement in your wealth.

But only if you are willing to make those interconnections and become cognizant of them.

That’s what I like to call ‘Thought Mapping’. 

The next time you’re making a big decision or planning your day, take five minutes to play the cause and effect game. Ask yourself, “What’s the cause? And what would this lead to?”

Map out the hypothetical day. And adjust the causes and effects to align with your goals.

Then, throughout the day, keep a notepad (or a note on your phone’s notes app) and take a minute to reflect, “How are things going? What’s causing which effect? How’s that making me feel? And is it aligned with what I want?”

You see, when you take this activity up for just fourteen days, you’ll be amazed by how aware, conscious, and in control you feel about your life.

And the tiny rock of unawareness stops being a threat to your success. Remember, you don’t need to add a new action. You just need to become aware of what you’re doing now, and all the clarity you want will start flowing in!