Baby Steps Are Brave Steps: The Myth of the Small Beginning

We say “baby steps” like it’s nothing. But starting is never nothing.

We toss the phrase around all the time: "Just take baby steps." It’s meant to be comforting. A way to say, “Don’t worry, make it easy for yourself” And to some extent, that’s true. Starting small does feel different from taking a big leap.

The more I’ve thought about "baby steps", the more I’ve realized: Baby steps aren’t small. They’re seismic.

Baby steps are bold, uncertain, brave and a shift from helplessness (babies are carried everywhere) to agency. When a baby takes their first step, it's not “just” a small thing. It’s a radical act of belief, belief that their legs will hold, the ground will support them, and someone nearby might catch them if they fall.

That’s not a minor move. That’s courage in motion.

Too often we forget that when we tell ourselves, or our clients, to "just start small."

Baby steps are how we learn to walk, then run, then dance, and eventually move in a rhythm that’s truly our own.

Starting small doesn’t mean it feels small. It can still mean:

• Facing the fear of failure

• Feeling exposed

• Looking awkward

• Risking judgment

• And doing it anyway

Baby steps are the beginning of agency. They’re the start of building strength, independence, and movement on your own terms. So maybe we stop dismissing them as “just.” Maybe we start honoring them as bold beginnings.

Whether you're learning a new skill, trying something outside your comfort zone, or finally chasing a long-held dream…

Don’t belittle the step. Celebrate it.

The next brave thing you do might not look brave at all, from the outside. But you’ll know.

Because when you zoom out on any great journey, the step that mattered most wasn’t the final sprint. It was the moment you first stood up and said: “I’m willing to try.”

As a coach I play with this in reflection questions for clients - here are some I have used

• What’s a “baby step” You've been putting off because it doesn’t feel big enough?

• What fear might it be masking?

• How would it feel to see that first step as an act of boldness, not caution?

• What part of me needs to be encouraged to stand up and try just once?