Years ago I read a wonderfully written book entitled “Small Change - Little Things Make A Big Difference.” The wise message that this book delivered was extremely powerful and has stayed with me until today...the secret to success is to focus on the small steps, not on the long and big journey. The book is divided into chapters, each one dedicated to a different aspect of life which may be made better through making small changes. This is the perfect time of year to revisit this message since the start of a new year has us all thinking that we have to make huge changes to our lives in order to see and feel any improvements. I have recently changed a small item in my home that epitomizes the “small things can make a big difference” concept.
Many times over the past two decades, I have replaced the floor mat in front of our kitchen sink. No matter how perfectly they may have initially coordinated with our kitchen decor, each one inevitably got worn out, stained, and ended up looking terrible. I did not learn anything from my shopping mistakes and kept replacing each woven rug with another very similarly made one. It was the classic example of doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result. I did not realize what I was missing by not branching out and buying a different model. I have always wanted to get one of the gel-filled kitchen mats that are advertised in the back of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine. After all, if Martha approves of them, then they must be great, right? They cost more than my previous carpet-woven versions, so I had really resisted buying one. This year, my husband surprised me with a gel-infused kitchen mat for Christmas! Perhaps you would not find such a gift particularly exciting. For me, it was a dream come true! I love my new mat! Washing dishes is such a pleasure now. The gel mat offers cushion and support, it feels so comfortable to stand on (even for a long period of time), and is easily cleaned with a damp cloth. No more aching back and feet after kitchen clean-up duty. It feels so great each and every time I step on that mat! What a lesson I learned...it truly is the simple and small things that sometimes bring the most pleasure and can result in a big change.
Do you have any small changes that are just waiting to be implemented in your life?
Are you reading by a light that is too dim? Time to finally upgrade that bulb.
Want to eat more plant based meals this year? Start with just one meatless meal per week and see how you feel.
Craving sugar all of the time? Replace one sugary snack per day with a handful of nuts and watch your energy soar.
Getting sick more often? Smile more. Yes, smile more...it has been shown to significantly boost your immune system.
As you can see, the old proverb is correct - “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step.”
According to the book that I mentioned earlier - Small Change - there are rules to making small changes in your life that will make a big difference. Here they are:
1. Look closely at the things you do each day in order to determine where you may make a change;
2. Make only one change at a time;
3. Make the Small Change concept a constant in your life;
4.Trust in the power of Small Changes and remember that they will add up; and
5. Enjoy making small changes!
The next time you are at the kitchen sink washing dishes, think of me standing on my comfy gel-infused mat and what a big difference that something which is so small (smaller than a baby’s blanket) made in my life. I hope it inspires you to make some small changes too!