What One Small Thing Can You Do Today?
Back in my heyday of self-defeating mega goal setting all or nothing obsessiveness, it didn’t matter how much time I spent pursuing my goals- it was never enough. If I spent two hours reading the Bible in the morning, something I thoroughly enjoyed, I would still feel guilty if I didn’t spend another few hours in the afternoon in with my Bible open, and at least another half hour before bed. My goal was to eat nutritious, nutrient dense foods every day- and any food that crossed my lips in a moment of weakness (ahem, chocolate) induced another tail spin into guilt, remorse and sometimes even self-hatred. It was an exhausting way to live, not to mention not very fun. And those are just a few examples.Finally realizing I couldn’t force myself to be the person I thought I was supposed to be, I just kind of gave up. Not so much in the quitting sense of giving up, but in the sense of “what I’m doing isn’t working, so maybe it’s time to try something else.” It was about that time that I got a short video in my inbox. And the message was simple but profound. The video clip was from a company that puts together ebook bundles and releases them for a great price and only for a short while, once a year. I had purchased the Healthy Living Bundle from the company a few months earlier- it was loaded with all kinds of great ebooks about real food, meal planning, gardening, raising chickens, DIY beauty… pretty much anything an
d everything about natural, healthy living that you could want. In fact, it could be kind of overwhelming. And that was the point of the video. The owner of the company, who had battled cancer on top of a host of other health issues, shared how it was starting with one simple change that sets us on the path that will ultimately take us to where we want to be- in our health, in our relationships, in every area of our lives. It’s not the hour long workout six days a week that gets us in shape physically (all those who tried that and quit within the first week raise your hands). It’s committing to 10 minutes every day- and then building on that.
d everything about natural, healthy living that you could want. In fact, it could be kind of overwhelming. And that was the point of the video. The owner of the company, who had battled cancer on top of a host of other health issues, shared how it was starting with one simple change that sets us on the path that will ultimately take us to where we want to be- in our health, in our relationships, in every area of our lives. It’s not the hour long workout six days a week that gets us in shape physically (all those who tried that and quit within the first week raise your hands). It’s committing to 10 minutes every day- and then building on that.So don’t try to do a total life overhaul and commit to some crazy plan to transform yourself overnight. That’s exciting for about a day and then overwhelm kicks in and you end up giving up in frustration. Start small. Start simple. The thrill you get from making that one simple change and sticking with it will motivate you to take the next step. And then the next. Before you know it, you will look back at how far you’ve come and not even recognize yourself!
Move In the Direction Of
In the Healthy Moving Podcast a few weeks ago host Jen Hoffman played a clip from an interview she did with Judith Hanson Lasater, nationally acclaimed yoga teacher. Whether or not you practice yoga is beside the point. This podcast is profound. Judith speaks to the excuses we all make that we “don’t have time” to exercise (to write the book, to….fill in the blank). She calls it “Move in the direction of”- when you make that one small change, you are moving in the direction of the life you really want. It may not seem like much at first, but as you keep moving momentum builds. I really hope you will check out that podcast, it’s about ten minutes of amazing, life changing common sense that I know will encourage you.
What’s Your One Small Thing?
So, what one small thing can you do today to set you on the path to where you ultimately want to be? Maybe it’s switching your morning cup of coffee for a cup of green tea and lemon (or try my ginger-lemon tonic). Could you commit to set your alarm five minutes earlier, to plan your day or read your goals? Could you take a 15 minute walk on your lunch break? Pack a salad for lunch tomorrow instead of eating out with everyone else- just one day a week, not every day. Drink a glass of water with dinner instead of a soda? Just one small thing. You can do it!
My one small thing this year has been to establish a morning routine– to get up earlier and spend some time reading my goals, reading my Bible and doing some yoga. I can’t tell you how grounding it is to start my day this way, instead of waking up feeling frazzled and like I’m already two steps behind where I need to be. You can read about my morning routine here.
What will your one small thing be? Please share it with me below! And keep Moving in the Direction of!
P.S.- If you are interested in the ebook bundle I mentioned in this post, you can sign up to be notified when it is available here, along with some other great bundles that are released throughout the year!
