The New Year brings about a whole flurry of resolutions for many. And even if, like me, you don’t quite believe in making resolutions only once a year, it’s a time to reflect on what’s working and what needs to go.
As I look back on the major changes in my life, it’s often more of an evolution, rather than a revolution. Now, I’m not saying that the occasionally LARGE shakeup is a bad thing – it’s just not feasible for many.
To get back to the New Year theme, it’s nearly impossible to change one’s life, career, diet, relationships, exercise, and more all at once. Not that people don’t try! There was a year when a friend and I made the mistake of going to Weight Watchers in January. Yikes! Are those lines long!!! And when I practiced yoga regularly at a local studio, we used to dread the beginning of the year because all the people who swore they would Change Things Now were in there with us regulars. The good news for the regulars is – they will mostly all be gone by March and life can get back to normal!
So what works when you’ve just had it? When you can’t stand to do it the way you’ve been doing “it” (whatever it is… fill in the blank) for one more day?
Take. One. Small. Step.
Joe and I have changed our diets immensely after his triple bypass back in 2002, the year we got married. There’s nothing like a near-heart-attack seven months before the wedding to set your priorities straight. We didn’t do it all at once… it’s been a transition over ten years. First the red meat went, then the fried and fast food (my entire diet!), and eventually, I tried a low glycemic index diet and became a believer. Now I’m working toward gluten-free. If you had told me in 2002 that I’d no longer drink coffee or Diet Coke, wouldn’t be able to remember the last trip to a fast food restaurant, that I’d no longer eat beef or pork, and that eventually I’d even cut the bread/pasta/cracker/pretzel part of my diet, which would lead to much less cheese…. Well. We would have had quite a “discussion” about it. By the way, bacon isn’t pork, is it? Because I’m not giving that up when I eat breakfast out!
Along the way, with each change, came one of the Dwarfs, Grumpy, and he brought along some sisters, Bitchy and Cranky. Tearful came along once in a while, too, for good measure.
Changing things is not for the faint of heart. But is it worth it? YES!
Small steps. Just changing one little thing. It makes a BIG difference in the long run. And when your brain switches to not preferring whatever that thing is that you left behind, you are home free. And you’ll celebrate with the rest of us who just changed One. Little. Thing.