4 Small Changes For Big Impact

I’ve been working on mindfulness – the ability to focus one’s attention on the present moment, to be fully engaged in right Now.  It’s been challenging, sometimes exhausting, but ultimately…when I do it…VERY rewarding!  The process I’ve been working through to eliminate distractions & focus my attention has led me to think about other ways in which I might make small, but significant changes in my life.  As we all know, change is almost always accompanied by teeth gnashing, feet dragging & complaining…oh, the complaining.  Our resistance to change often comes when our goals are bigger than our energy levels, our time availability, and perhaps, our courage.  Making SMALL changes, however, is one method of offsetting the less desirable responses to change.  So, here we go!  Four small, yet very significant, changes you can make in the next month!

Change #1

Unplug for 15 extra minutes every day.  Put down your phone, turn off your TV, walk away from your computer, get rid of the headphones.  Whether you decide to pick up an old-fashioned book (with real pages!), pull a few weeds in your garden, take a bike ride down the Greenbelt (it’s gorgeous this time of year), talk to your kids face-to-face, or just simply enjoy that you don’t HAVE to do anything for the next 15 minutes, the point is to remind yourself of what “quiet time” is like.  We ask our toddlers to do “quiet time”, right?  We inherently know that peace & quiet helps us calm down, relax, regroup & unwind.  Give yourself this small gift & don’t be surprised if you decide to do 20 minutes next week!

Change #2

Connect with a stranger.  Believe me, this one is tough.  Especially in a world where it seems everyone is looking down…at their phone screens.  But when I’ve done this, I’ve found it to be so rewarding!  How to do this?  Well…you’ve just got to put yourself out there & do it!  While standing in line at the grocery store ask about the strange vegetable in the cart of the person in front of you.  When you’re at the gym make small talk with one of the “regulars” that you see every time you’re there.  As you head into the office strike up a conversation with the front desk person, the security guard, the cleaning person who you’ve never acknowledged before.  Once you do it you’ll be amazed at how easy it is.  It’s only the initial decision, the “should I, shouldn’t I” phase that presents the struggle.

One thought process that helps me is to remember that we’re all human & we all enjoy a short, positive interaction with another person.  Here’s your dead simple, totally easy way to make this happen – compliment them…on something…anything!  It’ll bring a smile to their face which will certainly bring a smile to yours!

Change #3

Learn something new.  One of the best ways to inject some spice into your life & break out of your rut is to learn something new.  It really is amazing how we humans fall into routine – we do the same things, think the same way, eat the same foods day in & day out.  While routine is convenient, it really doesn’t do much for your personal growth & progress.  That’s where the challenge of learning something new comes in.  If you made Change #2 (Connect with a stranger) you’ve already done this!  By talking with someone you’ve never met before you just opened your world up to new thoughts, new ideas, new opinions.  Who knows…that stranger just might turn you on to a book you “just must read” or a hobby you “just have to try”.

Another option is to buy a vegetable you’ve never cooked before & research just how the heck to prepare this thing called kohlrabi!!  Take a community ed class – not only can you learn German, but you’ll also meet a host of new people (now you’ve done #2 & 3)!  And finally, if you’re looking for something less committed, take a new route to work, brush your teeth with the other hand, try a new exercise class, plant a new flower in your yard.  The possibilities are endless!

Change #4

Increase your amount of “wonder”.  Now that you’ve read through Changes #1 to 3, I can hear some of your thoughts.  “I can’t turn off

my phone for 15 more minutes…I need to stay connected!”  “Talking to a stranger?  What a waste of time!”  “I’m not eating a new vegetable – even the word ‘kohlrabi’ sounds gross!”  At the heart of our push-back to change are our many preconceived notions – we THINK we know how the experience will turn out.

These readymade attitudes color our experience…often in the negative.  If you EXPECT kohlrabi to taste disgusting…there’s really no way it will taste great!  So…how about trying Change #4?  Instead of assuming you know how it will go, just go.  Just go into the experience with as much of an open mind as possible.  Start by asking yourself, “I WONDER how this will turn out?” & then let the experience unfold around you.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, there still might be some negatives.  The way you prepared kohlrabi the first time might really not taste all that great.  But…if we go in with wonder…we allow ourselves to experience all of it – the positives, the negatives and the in-betweens.  And that will encourage you to try kohlrabi, perhaps prepared a different way, a second time!

Cheers,

Coach Michelle