Hey Hey! Today I thought of writing about big and small changes or goals.
Something I hear all the time are people who are about to embark on new lifestyle changes or goals that are far too big and absolute.
They should like to go “cold turkey” and make the change they want abruptly. Take, for example, the one who has smoked 1-2 packs of cigarettes every day for 5 years, or the one who is going to be 100% vegan overnight, or the one who goes from being inactive to exercising every single day. A week or three later, the majority have returned to the starting point, because the goals were so far too large, extensive or acute. As a bonus, many feel unsuccessful because they would like to, but feel that they have failed.
What if she who smoked cut down on the number of smokes per day to maybe five or ten instead of 1-2 packs, and then replaced as many as possible with nicotine patches to a level she could keep. Wouldn’t it benefit her health even if she hadn’t completely quit? Wouldn’t that make it easier to become completely smoke-free in the long run? He who wanted to be vegan, would it not help the animals if he only exchanged one meal a day for a vegan meal, or one meat-free day a week? Imagine if everyone in this country did. It would have a massive effect. She who was inactive could stick to 2-3 sessions a week, even if she wanted more. Then she had stopped going on a bang either due to loss of motivation or injury due to overtraining.
Making small and lasting changes is much more sustainable than changes that are so large that for various reasons they are not possible. Keep it in mind the next time you think of doing something “big”. It is often not a big change that helps us in goals, but all the small ones.
Here are some tips for small changes you can make to have a better life or everyday life. Feel free to choose one of the points and do it for a week before you possibly embrace a new change or habit.
- Decide to have at least 1 meat-free meal a week.
- Choose a vegetarian or vegan day a week, such as “Meatfree Monday”.
Set aside 3 minutes for stretching or meditation every day, for example every morning or evening. Increase the number of minutes to 5, 10 or 15 as desired and needed.
- · Next time you are in the store, choose coarse over light, such as high-fiber pasta or coarse bread. Choosing roughly now and then is good in the long run.
- · Write down 3 things you are grateful for each day.
- · Walk or bike to work on certain days, or when the weather is good.
- · Try a new food every week. It could be a new exotic fruit or testing some of this year’s food news.
- · Exercise to enjoy! This can be anything from food to sun rays.
- · Call a friend or family member once a week.
- · Smile more, both to yourself and others.
- · Say “I love you” to yourself the next time you look in the mirror.
None of these changes seem insurmountable, right? None of them are extremely big changes in themselves, but over time, and not least together, they make a big difference in overall health and zest for life. They can actually make your life a lot better.