All sustaining and nourishing endeavors come from a willingness to change.
You have to begin somewhere.
After five years of studying habit change and identity evolution and realizing the tie into my work as an undergrad, it’s clear the small steps towards big results go against the grain in our modern culture. While the importance of lifestyle is more of a mainstream topic, it’s become harder and harder to apply what we know in such a fast-paced world, permeated with the unspoken need for immediate gratification and all kinds of distraction.
Most of us have been primed to believe (on some level) that if we aren’t getting instant gratification we must be doing something “wrong”.
With the start of another season of Embody Ease, mixed with my own transition into being a mother of a kindergartner ((WHAT?)) and returning from 8 weeks of summer travel the power of taking small steps is on my mind and in my field of awareness.
I wanted to share with you three practices to making small changes over time, versus making all changes at once and why you should care.
- Aim for a 1 degree change versus 180 degrees:
If you make a 1 degree conscious improvement for the better (i.e. meatless Mondays, 5-minute daily yoga practice, in bed without your phone, etc) every day for a year, you end up in a completely different landscape then if you making a 1 degree unconscious shift with habits that deteriorate (a beer every day after work, eating out at lunch, eating in front of your computer, overscheduling, etc).
Why you should care:
The trends in our culture are pulling us away from the rhythms of nature and as a result, our health is declining in the biggest picture. Making the slightest change in your day to day habits (whether positive or negative) will impact your life profoundly and you will, as a result, find yourself in a VERY different place on the map.
- See yourself as something worth investing in:
Your small steps and conscious approach to your lifestyle, body practices, mental health, leadership skills, financial planning, parenting you name it _____ will have a compound effect over time. The time, energy, financial investment will pay off. Start looking for how your past actions have created the life you are living today.
Why you should care:
Your actions have an exponential effect on the quality of your life. The compound effect of your actions can be positive, life-affirming and expansive, and also can be negative, constricting and life-negating. Stress is an example of something that can have a negative compound effect on your body and mind. Having a beer with friends from time to time doesn’t have the same effect on your liver as drinking every day. Meditating for 10 minutes every day has a different compound effect than one long practice a week. What you did last week had an effect on how you feel today and what you do today will have an effect on how you feel net week, next year, three years from now.
- Dissolve outdated BS
A friend recently shared with me that BS is your “beliefs, and stories”. I love this. So many of us are functioning under outdated beliefs and stories about something that is keeping us from living the life we really desire. I’ve been there. The BS still creeps in when I’m not looking. Don’t forget to check yourself and be willing to rewrite your story and your beliefs.
Why you should care:
How you see yourself is directly related to your habits and your lifestyle. In order to change your habits whether those are patterns of self-talk, spending, unable to say NO, exercise, meditation, you have to be willing to change how you see yourself, how you talk to yourself and how you relate to your own potential. If you want to stay the same, be sure to hold on to your strong opinions about all the things (i.e outdated BS). They will keep you from living your dreams.
I hope this is even the slightest bit helpful. I’ve been getting some great feedback and replies from emails. Let me know which one of these you are ready and willing to start today.
All my best,
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Rachel Peters is a yoga teacher, yoga health coach, lifestyle and habits expert, easeful living advocate, and lover of wild places. She leads others towards Embodying Ease through a yearlong wellness & lifestyle journey to dissolve perfectionism, embody daily habits that promote mental clarity, overall ease, and deeper connection to life on this wild ride of modern living. Learn MORE today!