The big effect of small changes

As a personal trainer, while reflecting on my morning meditation theme of “the big effect of small choices”, I realise this is something I strongly believe in. My clients tell me they feel much stronger, fitter, and healthier after they have been training with me, but I do not sell programmes that promise dramatic transformations, nor will you see ‘before and after’ photos on my social media. There is nothing wrong with these as such, and it works for people who have a very clear goal and lots of determination, but I believe that embedding small, gradual changes in habits and behaviours over time is often more sustainable in the long run, and more effective at getting the individual to their ultimate goal of a healthier, fitter and happier version of themselves.

Think of a super tanker on a long journey. The ship cannot turn very quickly, but it does not need to. Even just a small change of direction can see it ending up at a completely different destination. Making the conscious choice to shift direction even by a small amount, when this is sustained over time, can lead to a significant change in where we end up.

Every day we make a multitude of choices and decisions, many of them made without much thinking as they have become habitual. If we can start to consciously add in or change one or two small behaviours at a time, they build up without us really noticing, and without them destabilising our lives too much, so we are more likely to stick with the change. Rather than deciding to completely overhaul our life, dramatically change our diet or workout routine, and make our life unrecognisable from what it was before, we can instead decide to add on another 1,500 steps to our daily goal, reduce the frequency that we eat sweet things or drink alcohol, or introduce a 15-minute workout into our week. Whilst the changes will still take some conscious effort to put in place, they will not require as much as deciding to suddenly hit the gym 5 times a week if we have never gone before, or cutting out all carbohydrates from our diet (not something I would advise anyway).

“Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make, makes you.”

– John C Maxwell

Start small. Stick with it. Let it become a habit. Then layer on another small change. Once you have made one positive change, the next one becomes easier. Over time, you will be able to look back and see how far you have come. You will have achieved your transformation – that is your ‘before and after’ photo right there.

#changeyourdestination #smallchanges #positivemindset