The Importance of Small Actions
We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Heck, I even think there’s a whole book series in the discount section of Barnes & Noble with the same title.
And while there is some truth to not sweating the wrong small stuff, there are some benefits to sweating the right small stuff. The right stuff. *cue New Kids on the Block dance here*
During military training, soldiers are trained to make their bed every morning of every single day. The goal isn’t to just have a tidy bed to come back to or that it’s something easy. This simple task helps build the habit of discipline. It starts off the morning with a sense of pride and eventually, it just becomes part of the morning routine. It becomes “just something they do”. What???
Now, I’ve never been in the military and also never make my bed in the morning. Growing up in my house, we were more like, “You’re just gonna crawl back into it in a few hours,” so making my bed was not a daily chore I had to do. I’m sure my lack of bed-making skills isn't the ONLY reason I’ve struggled with discipline and sticking to new habits my Whole Darn Life, but there is something there that resonates with me and helps me realize some things about habits and why people struggle with creating and sticking to new ones. Here’s why small actions can make a big difference.
Habits don’t happen overnight
Lasting change always starts small. I’d love to think that I’d set a goal of going to the gym seven days a week and *poof* I grab my gym bag and off I go every morning, all bright and bushy tailed (I always assume that saying refers to squirrels?). But it’s just not realistic. Because I haven’t gone to the gym in years. Building and creating new habits isn’t about going balls to the wall, zero to sixty in 6.2 seconds, or reaching that big, splashy goal overnight. Good things take time. Which can be frustrating, and even darn right discouraging at times. Ugh.
Habits start small. Sometimes very small.
Remember going to the gym seven days a week? Again, probably never going to happen for me. Just typing that sounds daunting and overwhelming. But what’s the actual goal? I’d love to be healthier overall. Walking for 10 minutes two days a week seems a bit more realistic. And once I have two days a week down, I might just challenge myself to three days a week. And if you’re thinking, “Then you’ll run a marathon!” Slow your roll there. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. But running a marathon *could* be more attainable if I get this walking-two-days-a-week thing down. By starting small, sometimes very small, new habits form. And I’m feeling pretty good about being able to reach that small, realistic goal.
Small actions require discipline. And discipline grows.
Think about the soldiers making their beds everyday. They wake up, make their bed, tuck in the corners and look at that nice flat sheet with pride. Next thing you know, they’re doing other crazy disciplined things like ironing their uniforms and sweeping the mess hall. Without being told to. Without avoiding it by going to Starbucks. Without even thinking about it. Those small actions build discipline that creeps into other areas of their lives. And that could be the same for you! One week you’re making the bed every day, the next week you’re waking up to your first alarm instead of hitting the snooze button five times. You could do anything, if you just make your bed every day! But it’s so cozy; I’ll start next week.
In my best Jordan McKnight karaoke: “You’ve got the right stuff…baby.” The right small stuff. So yes, the discounted books are right…partially. Don’t sweat the small stuff, like the guy who cut you off in traffic, or the annoying neighbor that doesn’t pick up their dog poop, or your crazy aunt who says inappropriate things at Christmas dinner. That’s the wrong stuff…baby. (Okay, last one, I swear). The right small stuff is the small actions that don’t happen overnight, that you have control over, and that help you build discipline. It’s not overnight oatmeal, for goodness sake. These small actions lead to big changes over time. Think low-and-slow barbecue instead
So don’t worry if you’re starting small. There’s no such thing as too small. Like teacup-chihuahua-in-an-actual-teacup small. Start super small if you need to. But just start.
If you need help breaking your BIG goals into small actions, even super-mini-small actions, contact me today for an exploratory call to see how life and career coaching can help you discover your why, create goals, and build habits.
Another great way to start small is to check out my back-and-better-than-ever group coaching program, Surf Club, a 6-week journey with a group of awesome people reading the same book. You receive Monday morning “Aloha” emails each week and we’ll have (3) group coaching sessions. This time around, we’re reading the classic, mysterious, and magical book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Surf Club kicks off April 4th and is limited to 10 participants. Sign up by March 28th.
I’m cheering you on and I’m rooting for you to set amazing super-mini-small actions that lead to big, awesome life-changing habits. Hope to talk to you soon!
Love, Niki