Climbing the Ladder of Success, even for the ironing pile!

We all have those activities or ‘jobs’ that we put off. You know the ones that haunt us until we finally stop avoiding them.

For me, it’s been a pile of ironing. Not just any ironing - a mountain of awkward blouses with frills and pleats that, whilst pretty, are time-consuming and fiddly to iron. Well, on Sunday, I decided that enough was enough, I was running out of nice work tops, and it simply had to be done.

That’s when I reminded myself about one of my favourite practical coaching tools: The Ladder of Success.

What Is the Ladder of Success?

My approach to coaching is always about practicality - tools and strategies that fit into busy, real life.

The Ladder of Success fits the bill, because it's a simple, versatile, visual tool that works brilliantly for everyday, real life challenges and tasks. Whether you’re managing a big professional project or simply trying to stay on top of the day-to-day, the Ladder of Success will support you to break down your tasks and goals into small, manageable chunks. It also helps you to build momentum and ease the overwhelm that hits when faced with a daunting goal, or even just a dull, necessary one (like my ironing pile!).

I first used the ladder concept whilst coaching university students studying professional qualifications.  Many would experience overwhelm at the prospect of producing large essays or dissertations - daunted by the size of the task, not knowing where to start.

The ladder concept supported them to break down the task at hand into small sections (rungs/steps), reminding them that, in order to reach the top of the ladder, they needed to climb it rung by rung, step by step.

It's a simple concept (often the best ones are), but one that works, and my experience, supporting individuals to create their own bespoke version of the Ladder of Success, has shown that it supports people to:

• Organise, and methodically complete the tasks/goals they have set for themselves.

• Feel more confident - ticking tasks (rungs) off provides a dopamine (feel good) hit and cultivates a sense of reward and achievement.

• Boost self-efficacy levels - the completion of stages providing evidence that they are capable of completing hard things.

• Manage feelings of overwhelm and panic - the ladder is a visual, grounding demonstration of the need to slow down and take things one step at a time.

• Set realistic expectations about progress.

  
  

Creating your own Ladder

The Ladder of Success is flexible and easy to make your own. Here’s how you can tailor your own ladder:

• The ladder can be tall or short. Sometimes “big” goals are made up of several shorter, interconnected ladders that build into one super ladder.

• It can have as many or as few rungs (steps) as you like.

• The rungs can be chunky or streamlined.

  You can tweak the rungs as you go, because new information often emerges once we start taking action.

• The goal at the top is completely bespoke to you and your own personal measure of success.

• You can design it however you like - if you're like me, you'll enjoy getting the coloured pens out!

Real-Life Examples from Our House

Just last week, three ladders were designed, and climbed, in our house!

1. Our eldest son’s reading ladder

Max is a great reader, but gets bored of novels quickly. In preparation for high school, next year, he wants to tackle longer books. On Monday last week, we mapped out his personalised Ladder of Success for the week - chapter by chapter. He’s a details person, so specific page numbers worked well for him.

As the week progressed, we tweaked it. The book’s tiny print made the chapters take longer than expected, and one night he left his book at school, which meant another adjustment. These ladders not only keep him motivated but also teach him self-accountability (impact of leaving book at school) and the importance of flexibility for when things don’t go to plan.

2. Our youngest son’s homework ladder

Last Sunday, Noah had writing homework (his least favourite kind). Together, we designed his ladder with fewer, chunkier rungs like “complete section one.” He added a tight time frame (20 mins), which worked perfectly for his more laid-back, self-assured style.

3. My ironing ladder!

My ladder was written in purple pen (my favourite colour) and was broken down into more detailed rungs e.g. “iron 4 x blouses.” I also added notes as I went along and included my reward at the end: a well-earned coffee!

Each of these ladders were slightly different in style and content, bespoke to our individual personality preferences, but they all shared a few key ingredients that are essential for successful goal setting:

• A measurable goal or task - you can track your progress and know for certain that you have achieved it.

• Realistic, practical, specific steps (rungs), mapping out how to achieve it.

• A clear start and end point.

• A meaningful why behind the goal - a meaningful reason for why you are doing it.

The Key Takeaway

The Ladder of Success isn’t just a productivity tool - it’s a mindset. It reminds us that progress doesn’t have to come from giant leaps; it’s built one rung at a time.

That’s what practical coaching is all about - real people, real situations, and finding simple tools that help you move forward without overcomplicating things. Whether you’re tackling a big personal goal, supporting a child’s learning, or simply facing that dreaded pile of ironing, breaking things down makes everything feel more achievable, and even a little more enjoyable.

So, next time you’re staring down a task you’ve been putting off, grab a pen (or the felt-tips), sketch your ladder, and start climbing. One small, practical step (or frilly blouse) at a time.

And, as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this concept and how a Ladder of Success might support you start that task you keep putting off.

Laura x