Your Next Clear Move

Small Shifts, Big Impact: How Micro-Choices Build Momentum

• Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity

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Big results rarely come from big, dramatic leaps - they come from small, repeatable moves that compound. We open up about why leaders stall when they chase the “perfect” big swing and how tiny, consistent actions create momentum you can feel by noon. Debbie shares the personal turning point that led to “donating” 60 pounds to the universe, and the surprising insight that consistency - not overhaul - changes your health, confidence, and leadership presence.

From there, we get practical. You’ll learn how a simple morning ritual splits personal and professional energy so your best hours serve your top priority. We walk through protecting time for what actually works (because calendars fill themselves if you let them), and we break down a fast prioritization trick—the Mitchell Method—that turns a messy brain dump into a clear, ranked plan. You’ll hear how visible plans, micro actions, and daily outreach sharpen focus, and how a quick “share what’s working” moment in team meetings turns individual progress into a rising tide.

We close with a field-tested framework: the Power of Three. Pick one goal, define three tiny moves, and do them at the start of the day. These micro choices reduce overwhelm, build confidence, and move real projects forward without waiting for a perfect moment. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or stuck in busywork, this conversation offers a calm, clear path back to ownership and traction—one small step at a time.

If this helped you find your next clear move, follow the show, share it with a leader who needs momentum, and leave a quick review so more people can discover these tools.

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Hey, hello, and welcome back. I am Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity, and this is another episode of the Getting to Clarity Podcast. This is the place that you come to find your next clear move in your leadership, in your business, in your career, maybe even in your life. And today we're talking about small shifts, big impact. We're talking about micro choices and how these little micro moves can really help you build momentum. So stay tuned.

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Welcome to the Getting to Clarity Podcast.

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The place where busy leaders discover how to create more success in their leadership journey with less sacrifice in their life.

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Here's your host, Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity.

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All right, so what does this mean? Well, one of the myths that I really would love to take out is that big goals always require big change, and that's just not true. So if you are willing to take small, consistent action, it's the consistency that gets you where you need to go. Every major goal that I've ever hit in my life in my leadership has come down from stacking those small shifts day after day. So, and this especially hit home uh a few years ago. So I saw a picture of myself, and when it comes to weight, that's usually how it starts, right? Uh, and then I stepped on the scale and I was mortified. I knew that something had to change. Uh, I also knew I needed help and uh because I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own. I needed accountability. So I worked with a coach, and I'm a firm believer in coaching because it shortens the overall journey for me. And here's what I discovered: it wasn't the big changes that made the difference. It was the small, consistent shifts that did. So that's how I was able to donate 60 pounds back to the universe. And I say donate because linguistically, when you lose something, you go looking for it. And with weight, that's not what you want to go do because you don't want to find it again, right? And that experience changed more than just my health. Um, these small, consistent choices and moves that I made helped me to do that. And it, yes, impacted my health, but it also impacted my confidence, my mindset, how I showed up as a leader. And here's why this is important, and why I'm bringing it to you today is because you know, a lot of leaders brush off the idea of small shifts because they think, well, this can't possibly be enough. You know, they chase the big moves because they're convinced that big equals big on the other end. So big change equals big results. But here's the truth when you or your team commit to small, steady shifts, the results can be really powerful. You know, if you wait around for the giant move, you know, take the big swing, you risk really stalling your own momentum or your team's momentum. Um, it can be frustrating, it can lead to uh overwhelm and burnout and and missed chances. So small shifts may not be flashy, but they keep you moving, and it's the movement that creates the impact. So, do you need some small tools to try, maybe some ideas? So, for me, small shifts start with my morning ritual. That is so important to me. So I block out personal time and I also block out professional time. So personally, it looks like uh time for me in my Bible in the morning, uh, having some lemon water, getting caught up on the news. Um, professionally, it is doing outreach and calls first thing in the morning. And if I stick to those small habits, that consistency leads to much bigger results over time. So, you know, it's not doing everything, it is focusing on the things that are going to help you move the needle towards what you want. Another shift is protecting time for act what actually works. So, what's working for you? You know, what is helping you to feel better, helping you to be more successful. You know, I get around and I say that nature abhors a vacuum, right? Well, so does your calendar. Um, and you know, busyness that can so easily move in and take over, but if you block that space intentionally, it moves the needle toward your goals. You know, I I go in and I deliver uh a 60-minute keynote, and in that room, people go from being overwhelmed and chasing everything to tying meaning in their work so that they know what it is they want to pursue that's gonna move the needle for them professionally. And then they walk out with a plan and the very first action in 60 minutes. So it this doesn't take long, but it does take your choice. So if you're feeling stuck, if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, fall is coming and there's a lot going on in fall. Here's a simple one: a brain dump. Get everything out of your head onto paper. I say paper, it can be an electronic document, whatever it is you'll use, and then uh run it through something I call the Mitchell method, uh, which is something I created, uh, named after my son, uh, from when he used to come to me when he was a little kid when the Toys are Us catalog would come out at Christmas time, and he wanted absolutely everything that was in it. And what we would do is we would flip through the pages in the magazine and compare one toy against another toy to find out which one he wanted most, and whatever one won or came out on top, then we would go to the next page and compare it to that one. And then at the end, we would know what the one item was that was the most important that he wanted for Christmas. So you can do that with the same thing uh with the brain dump. So compare one item on your list to another and run it all the way through until you see what comes out on top. That is your true priority, and once you know that you've got clarity of direction, which is a relief. So, how can you apply this? Well, I'm so glad you asked. I'm gonna walk you through it. So I've seen it done a lot of different ways. Um, micro choices that I've seen leaders use to build momentum, and some of the ones that have been most successful are keeping a visible plan, right? When you know what is most important, keep that in front of you. Build it into every single day, wherever and however you can. Okay. Um, tiny things will get you moving toward it. Uh, so putting your goals where you can see them. For me, it's you know, daily outreach. For someone else, it might be a weekly reflection or carving out space for mentoring or setting boundaries around time. The key is consistency. So when you know what's most important, do your best to be consistent with it every week. Now, what about your team? So I love teaching uh tools and uh resources, uh, frameworks for you to be able to use, but I also want you to be able to use them for your team. So you can help your team value small shifts by creating time to share what's working. And I love it when a room debriefs, and I'll do this in my keynote when the group is an appropriate size. I'll be off the stage and I'll be down in the room saying, okay, what's coming into your mind? Share what it is that you're discovering. And those shares is like a rising tide lifts all boats. It's just beautiful. So the power of those shares lifts everyone. Um, you know, it can be personal, it can be professional. In a in a team meeting, hey, here's my tip for the week. Here's what's helping me get out of the office on time, here's what's keeping me helping me keep focused on my goal. You know, it gives them a chance to share something that's working for them. It allows them to be recognized in the room by by you and their peers, and it helps to exchange and create momentum for the whole team. It's like the group is mentoring each other, and that is just so powerful. So I want to give you an exercise, something tangible that you can use as well. It is something I call the power of three. And once you know what's most important, whether it's a long-term goal, a quarterly project, or just what matters most this week because there's been a change, imagine that. Commit to small moves, three small moves every day towards that goal. They can be tiny, they can be microscopic, but as long as you do something when you start your day, and it's important this happens at the beginning of the day, because otherwise the day gets away from you, then these intentional moves, once a day, done consistently, will build so much confidence and traction towards what you want than waiting for the big thing. So here's your next clear move. We're all carrying a lot right now. Oh, I see this again and again in my audiences with my consulting clients, and that load that we are carrying, it can feel overwhelming. I feel you, I get there, and I've got to use these tools on myself as well. It's like from my lips to my ears first. So, one move, one micro shift. It gets you back in the game, it gives you ownership and influence again, and it pulls you forward instead of leaving you stuck. So, your next clear move is simple. Pick one goal. Define three moves, no matter how tiny that you're going to commit to today. So, for more tools and resources, head on over to my website at www.debipetersonspeaks.com. You'll see information on keynoting and consulting as well as blogs chock full of tools just for you. So remember, be good to yourself. Take care and bye-bye for now.

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Thank you for listening to this episode of the Getting to Clarity Podcast with Debbie Peterson.

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If you enjoyed this jump, please rate and recommend it on iTunes or wherever you enjoy your podcast.

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To learn more about how you can bring Debbie and her transformational clarity leadership strategies to your organization, visit Debbie Petersonspeaks.com.

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Debbie Peterson, CSP

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