Baby Steps to Big Wins: The Psychology Behind Dierdre’s Success Formula

What if the only thing standing between you and your biggest dream wasn’t your age, your bank account, or even your lack of time—but simply the order in which you approached it? In a world consumed by advice telling us to dream big, stay positive, and hustle harder, few voices offer a practical, step-by-step method that genuinely leads to success. That’s what makes Dierdre Wolownick’s book Success in 7 Steps stand out. It’s not just motivational—it’s instructional, personal, and deeply grounded in real experience. Dierdre isn’t just any author giving out advice. She climbed the 3,200-foot granite face of Yosemite’s El Capitan at the age of 66—an age when most people are slowing down. But her story doesn’t start with ropes or rock faces. It starts with a decision: a choice to say yes to the things that scared her, to organize her chaos, and to stop calling her dreams “someday.” Through years of life experience, she created a method—one that helps others break down the impossible into something completely doable.

The main idea of her system is structure. Not just structure for the sake of organization, but structure that gives your goals a path forward. Dierdre explains that there’s a reason so many people start something and don’t finish. It’s not because they didn’t care enough. It’s because they didn’t have the right order. Most people jump straight into action. They buy the new shoes, start the new project, sign up for the course—and then burn out. Not because they aren’t capable, but because they skipped the essential foundation. Her system flows through three clear stages: first, learn what you need to know. Then, gather what you need to have. And only then, begin doing what you need to do. That simple shift in sequence changes everything. It eliminates confusion, removes the fear of failure, and creates a rhythm that your mind can actually handle. When things are too chaotic, your brain shuts down. But when there’s a map, when each next move makes sense, you keep going.

One of the most touching parts of the book is when she shares the story of her mother—a woman who always dreamed of writing a novel but never did. It was a beautiful idea, one that gave her hope and joy, but she never began it. That story hit hard, not because it’s rare, but because it’s so common. So many of us carry dreams like that—untouched, unorganized, waiting. And Dierdre is here to say: don’t let your dream die like that. Give it shape. Give it structure. Turn it into a goal. The shift from dream to goal is where the real work begins. A dream is inspiring, but it’s foggy. It feels good but goes nowhere. A goal is solid. It has deadlines, actions, milestones. You can track it. You can measure it. And best of all, you can reach it. That’s what this book helps you do. It shows you how to build your dream into something real—by breaking it down into small, strategic, manageable steps.

But this isn’t just theory. Dierdre brings her own life into every lesson. She didn’t set out to be a climber, a publisher, a conductor, or a speaker. But she became all of them—not through magic, but through baby steps. Each time she took on a new challenge, she followed the same structure. She asked: what do I need to learn first? What tools do I need to gather? And only then—what do I need to actually do? What’s striking is how consistent this process is, no matter what the goal is. It worked for climbing El Cap. It worked for founding an orchestra. It worked for writing and publishing books. And it can work for anyone—at any stage of life—who has the willingness to follow it. The book shows you that it’s not talent, not age, not luck that sets people apart. It’s the way they approach their goals.

One of the most liberating ideas Dierdre presents is the idea that you don’t have to give 100% every day. Some days, you can only give 5%, and that’s still progress. The key is to never give zero. Keep the momentum. Even the smallest step forward keeps the energy alive. And that, psychologically, is a game-changer. It removes the guilt of not doing enough and replaces it with the pride of doing something. Another key view is her belief in the power of saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities. She calls these moments “cosmic circles”—those random, life-altering chances that come when you least expect them. Like the podcast appearance that led to 50 more. Or the invitation that turned into a new career. Dierdre reminds us that sometimes, the universe opens a door. Our only job is to walk through it. But even after the “yes,” the work still follows the same method—learn, prepare, act.

This book isn’t selling a shortcut. It’s not promising success overnight. What it offers is something far more valuable: a repeatable process that works. A method you can use whether your dream is to start a business, write a book, run a marathon, or go back to school. Whatever it is, Success in 7 Steps equips you with the tools to go from idea to reality—without the burnout, without the confusion, and without waiting for the perfect moment.