One-Metre Process Focus
Turn an intimidating destination into the next feasible action
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
Hemmings illustrates process focus through a mountain climb with a friend who feared heights and was overwhelmed by both the summit and the eventual descent. Instead of solving the whole climb, she asked her friend to focus on one metre, then the next, while leaving later problems for the point when they became actionable. The same mechanism applies to business and personal goals: retain the destination for direction, but direct attention to a small process step that is feasible now. Complete it, reassess from the new position, and repeat. This does not guarantee the summit or remove the need for safety judgment; it converts a distant, frightening abstraction into the next controllable action.
Origin
Hemmings explains the method through a climb of Mount Toubkal with a friend who feared heights. Extracted from The Diary of a CEO.
Core principles
- 01The end goal supplies direction
- 02Attention belongs on the process available now
- 03A small next action can feel feasible when the summit does not
- 04Future obstacles do not all need solving at once
- 05Repeated steps create progress without demanding certainty
How to run it
- 1
Keep the destination visible
State where you are trying to go without treating the entire route as today's task.
Watch out Confirm that the destination and route are safe enough to pursue.
- 2
Name the overwhelm
Identify whether fear comes from distance, uncertainty, a later obstacle, or the immediate action itself.
- 3
Shrink the horizon
Choose the smallest next action that is both useful and clearly feasible, such as one metre or five minutes of work.
Pro tip Make the step concrete enough to answer yes or no: can I do this now?
- 4
Act before solving later problems
Complete the immediate step without demanding a complete answer for every future obstacle.
Watch out Do not postpone a hazard that must be addressed before the next step.
- 5
Reassess and repeat
From the new position, choose the next feasible action and continue until a larger planning decision becomes necessary.
Pro tip Use visible completed steps to reinforce momentum.
In the wild
Hemmings's friend became frightened by the steep ascent and by imagining the descent. Hemmings redirected her from the whole mountain to one metre at a time, saying they would deal with the way down when it became the task in front of them.
→ The immediate action became more manageable than contemplating the entire climb.
Common mistakes
Staring only at the summit
The destination can become so intimidating that it prevents the next available action.
Using small steps without direction
A next action is useful only when it still serves a defined destination or process.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for long projects, intimidating goals, and moments when the next small action is clearer than the full route.
Not ideal for
It is not enough when the immediate step is unsafe or when the overall direction requires expert planning first.
From the transcript
“one meter at a time”
“we just need to focus on the process”
From the episode
I Won 11 World Titles Because They Said I Couldn't - Anna Hemmings MBE