So, you have decided to make a change, but aren't sure where to begin?  The key is to make small changes.

For example, I have spoken to a lot of people who want to work out 30 minutes a day, but they aren't sure where to fit it in their schedule.  However, if I ask them if they could work out 1 or maybe 5 minutes per day, they always agree that they could do that, but believe it's not enough to make a change. The reality is that if you make small changes each week, you will be working out 20-30 minutes/day in just a few weeks.

A few years ago, running a marathon was on my bucket list. The task seemed so daunting that I spent all my time thinking about it rather than take any action.  Obviously,  I wasn't getting any closer to my goal by just thinking about it!  Then, I ran across a couple of books by John Bingham called, No Need For Speed and Running For Mortals.  These books allowed me to see that by starting small I could reach my goal of running a marathon. 

The first week, I walked 4 minutes and ran 1 minute for a total of 45 minutes. I only ran for 9 minutes, but I was making progress.  The second week, I walked 3 minutes and ran 2 minutes.  You get the idea.  At the end of week 4, I ran/walked 6 miles.  While I was't breaking any records I was literally taking small steps toward change.

After 5 months of training, I ran my first marathon and felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.  Two months later, I ran a second marathon.  If I had begun my training with running more than my body was prepared for, I more than likely would have injured myself or become so frustrated with my lack of progress that I would have quit and never accomplished my goal. 

Don't try to do more than you can handle, start small.

This philosophy doesn't just work in the field of exercise, but in all walks of life.  The idea is to keep breaking it down into smaller, more doable pieces and before you know it, you will have made a noticeable change.

In 2012, start checking things off your bucket list by starting small.  Need help getting started?  Email me at lori.growinghappiness@gmail.com and I will help you to make a plan, stick with it and accomplish your goals.

Peace & Gratitude.