For a long time, I focused only on my final goal: publishing a novel.

Back then, I only had one major project. In my mind, it seemed almost simple.

Write a book.

Publish it.

The end.

Except… that was completely wrong. Because writing a novel isn’t just writing a novel. It’s made up of hundreds of small tasks that we barely notice.

You have to:

• Find an idea.
• Brainstorm.
• Build a world.
• Create characters.
• Outline the story.
• Write a first draft.
• Rewrite it.
• Edit it.
• Have someone proofread it.
• Format the manuscript.
• Find a cover artist.
• Prepare your marketing.
• Design the cover.
• Publish it.

And I could keep going.

In the end, I was staring at a mountain… without seeing all the stones it was made of.

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Then a second goal appeared. I wanted to become a Narrative Designer. Suddenly, a whole new list of things had to be learned.

• New software.
• Understanding how game studios work.
• Building a portfolio.
• Creating case studies.

And, as if that weren’t enough, all my other projects were still there too.

At one point, I honestly asked myself:

How am I ever going to do all of this?

It felt as though every new project added another mountain to climb.

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Fortunately, I already had an old habit. I’ve always liked keeping a notebook of what I do. At first, I mainly wrote down what I had finished. Then, without really thinking about it, I changed one thing.

I stopped recording results. Instead, I started writing down three goals for the day.

Not ten.

Not twenty.

Three.

Three little bricks.

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During the first few days, I looked at my list and caught myself thinking:

« But… but… that’s actually not much. »And that’s exactly when everything changed. Because three little bricks don’t look impressive.

But…

Three little bricks are easy to lay.

• Even on days when it’s 35°C (95°F).
• Even when an appointment completely disrupts your schedule.
• Even when you’re exhausted.

I found the joy of creating again and once my three bricks were in place… I could enjoy the rest of my day without feeling guilty.

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A few weeks later, my daughter asked me:

« How do you stay motivated every single day? »

I answered with something I had never really put into words before.

Three goals a day. Over one week… That’s twenty-one little bricks.

Over one month… Allowing room for unexpected events… Around eighty.

Over three months… More than two hundred.

And over a year… Nearly 970 small steps forward.

So yes… I believe that’s how projects move forward.

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Today, I hardly look at the mountain anymore. Instead, I look at the three stones I can lay today.

Every evening, I close my notebook with the satisfaction of knowing I’ve made progress. By the end of the week, I can see the wall beginning to rise. A few months later, I start to recognize the shape of the building.

And a year later… I can finally lift my eyes.

Not to admire the summit… But to admire the landscape that all those little bricks have built.

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I think we often overestimate what we can accomplish in a single day…

…and completely underestimate what three small actions, repeated every day for a year, can achieve.

So if your mountain feels impossible to climb today…

Don’t look at the summit.

Just find your three bricks for today. The rest will come…

One brick at a time.

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