Change Slowly

You've had it. That's it. No more.
You finally decide that something has to change.
You devise a plan and put it into immediate action.


The Plan


Day 1:

You feel excited and to be honest a little worried. You've made a big change in your life and you're a little afraid of failure.

But never mind those fears. It's a new day and you seize it.


Day 2:

Yesterday was tough, but you lived through it. Today should be easier.

It's not. But never mind that. Tomorrow's another day.


Day 3:

Slipped back into your old ways today. Didn't have the energy/time/fortitude to keep it going.

But never mind that. You just have to believe.


Day 4:

Back on track, sort of. While you're still committed, you're starting to doubt.

But never mind that. Doubt is for losers.


Day 5:

You get a bit of bad news or it's Friday or whatever, but you're done, finished.

You're sick and tired of this. It's too hard. It's not worth it.

It's your life and you only have one to live and you intend to live it.


You give up.


What Went Wrong?


What happened here is all too common. We try to make drastic changes in our lives and they don't stick.

The problem is that bad habits don't happen overnight. What makes us think that good ones will.

The problem is that we have put off doing what we know we must. And now that we can't stand it for another minute, we want everything to change, overnight.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

Turns out that if you can change overnight, you can also change back overnight.


Now What?


Instead make changes in your life slowly. Integrate them into your daily routine.

Not all at once.

Pick one thing you'd like to change. Something small.

Don't pick lose 20 pounds. Don't pick stop smoking. Pick a micro-goal. Something small, like stop eating bacon.

That's it. Just stop eating bacon. Resolve never to eat it again. Then don't for the next 3 months. Nothing more.

After that time, you will be used to the fact that you are no longer a bacon eater.

Now pick something else, e.g. drink juice instead of a soda.

Or if smoking is your thing, smoke one less cigarette. For a month. That's it.

After that time, you won't even realize that you've decreased your consumption.

Then try to not smoke/eat when you're bored. Do that for a month or two.

And so on it goes. You slowly reduce the bad habits at the same rate at which you built them up. Slowly and without notice.

The most important thing that will keep you going is knowing that if it takes you 3 years to lose 20 pounds, that's okay. It probably took you 10 years to gain it.

You're going to be 3 years older. You might as well be 20 pounds lighter.

Slow change is change that will last.