What is the Smallest Change You Can Make?
When I was a kid, I was a little obsessed with Madonna—not in that I necessarily loved her songs, but I loved how she was constantly reinventing herself and surprising us with style. And I think that’s when I became fully aware that we can truly be whoever we want. So these days, I’m fascinated by what it takes to make change in our lives—the steps that get us to the next place we can claim as our own.
And honestly, I’m happiest when I’m making a big change or trying something new. Let’s say, quitting my day job to pursue my dream working for myself, or maybe traveling half way across the world, or chopping all my hair off and drastically changing my wardrobe. But the kind of change that is a bit more challenging for me is the step-by-step stuff it takes to get where I really want to go. The kind of change that sustainably alters how I move through the world on a daily basis, no matter what my hairstyle looks like. So I’m talking about things like being more organized, feeling less anxiety in guts and inflammation in my bones, growing my business, and doing more fun stuff on the weekends. Drastic change is easy but big, lasting change is daunting.
This week we chatted with Katie Lee about making change and it got me thinking about the areas in my life that could use a little shift for the better. My inclination is to GO BIG. For example, I want more nature, so in my mind, I’m going to MOVE across the country to a place filled with more mountains and forests. But that kind of change isn’t entirely feasible for my family, which makes my goal (more nature) feel impossible to reach and I’m left sitting on my couch watching TV. So this week I’m challenging myself to make the SMALLEST change possible to get the stuff I want.
For example:
I want to be a little less stressed out. Rather than quitting my job or pivoting my entire business model, I’m going to download Headspace and meditate for just 10 minutes every day.
I want to grow my list. Rather than throwing thousands of dollars at Facebook advertising, I’m going to put together a webinar plan and invite the followers I already have to join.
I want to feel a little more healthy. Rather than diving into a strict sugar detox, I’m going to focus on just adding something green to every meal.
Try this: ask yourself where you’d like to see change and try thinking of the absolute smallest step you can take to get there. And here’s what I can promise you: the little changes and those really small steps will add up and take you where you want to go. But you have to do the work.
If you need a little more guidance I have a worksheet for you! In this worksheet, I’ll ask you to take stock of your mental, emotional, and physical health with a few prompts. At the bottom of the worksheet, you are asked to make an action plan—my challenge to you is to make those action steps as small as possible!
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In this episode, the Work-Life Balance worksheet was mentioned. Download your copy here!
