Smaller is often better for changing habits

Making intrapersonal or behavioral changes in one’s life is challenging. Humans are, by nature, creatures of habit and tend to resist change because it is uncomfortable. Yet sometimes we also become aware – or are made aware by others – that change is necessary.

Accepting that a change in a certain area is necessary is usually the first essential step in this process. We might want to passively develop new skills or easily abandon long-standing bad habits, but this is not usually the typical experience of most individuals. As Jim Rohn, author and motivational speaker, rightly pointed out: “Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better through change.” » Once we have made room for awareness and acceptance, we can take action. Several metaphors provide perspective on some useful ways of visualizing the actions to be taken.

Prepare for change: Laying the bricks of a foundation

Once a person has decided to change a habit, they sometimes immediately immerse themselves in the process, but without putting in place preparation steps that will increase the chances of success. Just as someone laying bricks for a building’s foundation must gather materials, prepare cement, and set aside time to engage in the process step by step, people who make change must also think about what who could be. necessary to enable changes to succeed.

It can be tempting to jump straight into suddenly quitting, procrastinating, or nail-biting, but a little preparation and introspection is often necessary. Do we have the tools needed to move forward? Do we understand the triggers that lead to this behavior? Should we practice certain replacement behaviors before removing a habit? Without a little preparation, the chances of successful change diminish.

Accept that it will be difficult: charting a new path

When we change our behavior or our life, it is like trying to create a new path in the forest when there is another well-known path that already exists. It would be easier to travel the same old path and walk easily on the trodden path. Forging a new path may involve being scratched by overgrown bushes or being disoriented because the way forward is not always clear, but often a new path is necessary when the old one continues to lead to a dead end. We must prepare ourselves for the fact that the journey will be difficult, unknown and sometimes long. Because it’s new and different, we’ll probably want to go back to our old, easier ways. But the notion of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and adapt its structure and functioning in response to new behaviors, tells us that we can literally create new neural pathways in our brains by repeating – as if we were creating new ones. paths in a forest.

Reduce overshoot: practice an instrument

The process of adopting new habits can be intimidating, and smaller steps can help the process seem more achievable. Just as someone wishing to learn to play the piano needs initial practice with scale warm-ups and note reading before moving on to increasingly difficult but beautiful music, people desiring a change will feel more ultimately successful if they start with small, steady steps. Breaking down big goals into more manageable tasks not only reduces overachieving, but also increases motivation and skills when steps are achievable.

“Microdosing” type change is likely to be much more effective because it allows the brain and body to adapt to changes more slowly. Smaller steps also allow for easier modification if necessary, because one can adapt to changing circumstances without starting from scratch. No one becomes a master pianist overnight; consistent practice and fine-tuning are important.

Know that patience is required: Create a masterpiece

Although making giant leaps may seem more motivating, it is usually difficult to maintain this level of success for a significant period of time. Like a sculptor attacking a block of stone or an artist dabbing color on a canvas, the entire masterpiece can be difficult to imagine at first.. Some of the smaller steps may seem meaningless, but each of them builds on itself and can move things forward over time.

Since improvements may be harder to see at first, a lot of patience will be required. One must have hope and trust in the process of small changes, and long-term beauty will eventually be revealed. Breaking tasks into smaller steps allows you to create consistent habits and routines that promote long-term success. With smaller steps, one can also more easily track progress and celebrate small achievements, which can be psychologically rewarding.

Recognize sadness: empty a closet

When new habits are adopted, we can feel excited and proud – and sometimes also sad and anxious. Letting go of long-standing behaviors can be like giving away a household appliance, an old love letter, or a worn-out item of clothing that you no longer need but was highly valued at one point in your life; you know it no longer makes sense to keep it, but there may be heartbreak because of some old memories.

On the one hand, we often know that we need to clean out our internal “closets” to make room for new and improved behaviors, relationships, and mindsets; however, at the same time, it is helpful to validate for ourselves that this is an important step and worthy of recognition of distress.

We can’t always choose the timing of transformation, but if we initiate change and have the freedom to choose, choose small. As in the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare in which two animals raced towards a finish line, it was the tortoise, slow but steady, who finally reached the goal.