Have you ever looked at your life and thought "I wish I could change ...about myself!" However, you never got around to it because the changes you would have to make just seemed too overwhelming and monumental So you just went along on your merry (or perhaps not so merry) way. And NOTHING changed, including your frustration at how you would like things to be different.
I was recently introduced to a very simple and straightforward concept. Basically it is to make change happen in tiny baby steps. So often we expect change to happen in giant, comprehensive leaps. We have been introduced to ideas like Reach for the moon! Even if you miss, you will end up in the stars. I am not discounting this mantra because it works and makes sense to a lot of people. But it can be discouraging and disheartening if you just don't have the motivation to take that giant leap.
How about looking at change with a whole new mindset? What if you don't have to do it all at once or make gargantuan changes to your life in order to start moving in the direction you want to go?
Psychologists tell us that success builds upon success. If you take one little step in the right direction and succeed at it, you are more likely to be willing to try the next little step.
The concept I was introduced to is called Tiny Habits. The book Tiny Habits - The Small Changes That Change Everything is written by BJ Fogg who is a behavioural researcher at Stanford University. Not only did he write a book on this topic; he invites interested individuals to subscribe to a program at www.tinyhabits.com where you can get a jump start on building 3 new tiny habits into your lifestyle. You will be supported by an online mentor who will send you encouraging emails for 5 days in a row.
Looking at my own life, I would like to make some changes to my mental outlook. It is so easy for my thoughts to morph into a negative mindset. Telling myself to snap out of it and to think more positively is basically unachievable. However, if I create the tiny habit of saying "It's going to be a great day!" each morning as soon as I wake up, it becomes a little more within reach. Another tiny habit is to allow myself to think only positive thoughts when I go on my daily walks. I borrowed this last one from Jill Biden who, in an interview during the 2020 US presidential election, said that she allowed only positive thoughts as she went on her runs.
Another aspiring area of change for me is to connect more meaningfully with the random people I encounter in my daily life. As an introvert, I can so easily feel alone and disconnected from others. A tiny habit that I can engage in to overcome this is to make a practice of greeting people as I stand in line, or ride on the bus. I can simply step out of my comfort zone and do something even as simple as giving a bright smile to a stranger.
What about you? Is there anything in your life that you would like to change? I challenge you to subscribe to the website I mentioned above, and maybe even order the book. Imagine how your life could be different and more satisfying if you could grow by changing your life, one baby step at a time!