So now what? Making one small change.

Last week, I was musing about the importance of starting the year well: by beginning at the end and working backwards. 

Humpf, you say. That’s all well and good,

….but now what? 

Those questions I posed last week are huge in their scope. How wonderful to have a week long retreat to do full justice to this level of self examination and reflection (preferably somewhere warm and sunny with access to long beach walks and glorious food that someone else cooked for you. Just saying).

To have time, coupled with mental and emotional space to fully explore in depth our relationships, our roles and jobs (paid or otherwise), our character, our values and priorities. To identify key growth areas, create development goals, plot out action steps and put the whole lot into our calendar as monthly, weekly and daily action steps to take us towards the end of 2020 and Our-Best-Year-Ever. 

Now, please forgive me if you note a slight degree of cynicism in my tone. It is unintended, and I fully endorse the importance of time committed to our own self development as outlined above. If you are able to take extended time at the beginning of the year to work through this, it will be a gift that is rich and rewarding indeed, for you and yours.

And of course, it is fully possible to work through that process in a more normal-day-to-day realistic way, giving ourselves a few hours. Perhaps even a bracing walk and a discussion with ourselves in our heads…..(just me then…). 

But my point is this:

Trying to change too many things at once often leads to us changing nothing. 

We live full and busy lives. It is more than likely that not only do you NOT have the time for either a lengthy self review, but you also do NOT have the time to implement a long list of self development action steps. 

So, back to my original question: now what?

You may have taken time over the last week to consider what you want this year to be characterised by, and what it will mean for this to be a really good year. If so, I salute you!

But now, how to take realistic action in a way that is both proactive, and also sustainable. The key:

Make one small change.

There is a wonderful coaching principle called the One Degree principle. I have spoken about it here before, in relation both to dealing with failure and rewiring our mindsets from negative to positive.  

Imagine a plane set on auto pilot from Glasgow to New York, a flight distance of approximately 5,100 Km. Shift the auto pilot on that plane by only one degree, but over that distance, the end destination will be totally different.

So too with what we choose to do this year.

We might try and implement lots of changes all at once – eat healthier AND drink less alcohol/coffee AND exercise more AND read more inspiring/educational material AND spend more time with the family AND have at least one day away from technology AND practice gratitude daily – phew, I am exhausted even thinking about how to keep that lot in my head let alone fit it into my week…..

…have you done this perhaps? Do you recognise any of this?!

That would be the equivalent of us getting from Glasgow to New York by space craft, in a super short time. Impractical and unrealistic. And most likely, try and implement all those things at once, and the chances are they will not stick beyond the end of January. 

PLEASE feel free to take that as a challenge, in which case, I will be thrilled to hear how you are doing in a few months, and am excited for what an amazing year this will be for you!

I simply seek to be honest and realistic and not a damp squib. 

For most of us, imagine instead simply picking ONE small thing that would make a BIG difference over time, and choosing, day in and day out, to implement that ONE thing. 

Because, as the one degree principle outlines, one small change each day over time will bring you to a completely different outcome. And therein lies it’s power. Each day, a new day and a new opportunity to make that one small change. The end result?

A greater likelihood of getting to the end of 2020 having sustained the change that will contribute towards making this a good year. 

This is the philosophy of Prof Greg Whyte, performance expert to many celebrities who have achieved something extraordinary for Sport Relief and Comic Relief. If anyone knows, he knows. 

So this week, as a very practical outworking of last week’s questions, ask yourself this:

What ONE THING if I did more/less of it, would be a small thing each day but would make a BIG DIFFERENCE over the whole year? What one small change could I make that would stick?

Then write that thing down, put it somewhere prominent – a post it on your desk or fridge, as your phone lock screen, as a regular reminder on your computer – and STICK TO IT!

As ever, if this is something that you would like to work through with some objective help and supported, cheer-leading accountability, get in touch and we can do this together!

One small change done regularly makes for a very different year.