Today I’m pondering how little steps can join together to have a big impact. And how quickly we can make a difference from small actions. This goes for our relationships, our bodies, our mental health and our lives in general.
I posted the other day how I’ve set myself the goal of 30 mins exercise per day for 3 weeks in January. Just 1 week in and I can already see the difference – I’m more toned and I feel fitter. It really hasn’t been that onerous to do as my home workouts have been about exercising in front of the TV rather than just sitting on the sofa. And I notice the impact of healthy food & skipping alcohol after just one week too. I have great energy and feel more vibrant & healthy.
Similarly small changes can make a huge difference in our relationships. When one half of a relationship makes a commitment to be kinder or less reactive or more supportive etc, the relationship can head off in a new direction. Much like a supertanker sailing across the oceans – just a few degrees difference in its bearing and it’ll end up in an entirely new location. As we give our relationships some intentional TLC they can be nudged in a new direction. It can be as simple as a commitment to have some dates together this year – take action and book one in. Or a decision to cook together once a week. There are loads of different options so maybe have a think about what you’d like to be different in your relationship and what you personally can do about it. What nudge could your relationships do with?
Similarly I gave my relationship with my kids a positive nudge yesterday by having a meeting with them about how we want our school-run mornings to be. We agreed a new scheme – they eat breakfast in a timely fashion, with a timer on, so that I don’t have to nag and get cross. If they finish before the timer goes off they earn gadget time after school. It was a scheme to meet all of our wants & needs. Now admittedly it’s only day 1 but today was a great success – speedy eating and no shouting from me. Hurrah!
Or you might want a new career so step one could be about devoting a couple of hours a week to investigating and making it happen.
Or to improve your mental health by starting a gratitude habit or doing 10 mins of mindfulness a day.
Whatever you’d like to change, small steps can really have a great positive impact. And any day is a good day for your first small step. Please like / share. Sue X