The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones
Confucius
There is a big misconception which has been around for quite some time now, the fact that we need lofty, massive actions to see radical, constructive changes in us. But in reality, sometimes all we need is a small change. The world we live in, especially social media is highly obsessed with celebrating sudden leaps, instant fame, over-night fortune, etc. It is not our fault that we have forgotten the real agent of life long change- the power of small, consistent actions over the days.
Small changes can be just as powerful as big changes, if not more so. The reason being, that small changes are more sustainable, compounding, and accumulate with time.
Imagine, if you want to get in shape. You just don’t start running Marathon right off the bat. Instead, you start with some running exercises and then build on it. Similarly, you write books by sitting down multiple times and write seemingly small share of words.
Following are some common small changes that can make a big impact in your life:
1. Stop Comparing
The simple act of not comparing your self with others is a remarkable step in the right direction. Always remember that there will always be someone who will be ahead of you, more accomplished, with more accolades, financially rich, and with even better promotion. Most of the time the bar we set for ourselves is in reference to the outside world. The bar is always moving and it is nearly impossible to measure up with it. What should matter more to you is your internal bar. Never forget your starting point and where you are currently.
2. Take out time for yourself at the start of each day
Time is one big determinant of anyone’s success in life. If we are conscious of how we use it, we have a better chance of getting what we want. Therefore, how you start your day plays a big role in what you are gonna do in your entire day. Remember to take out a few minutes at the beginning of each day, to think about how you plan to spend your day in front of you. It is important to collect your thoughts before you get into the hustle-bustle of each day. A good way to do so is by doing meditation, prayer, and some exercise. The time that you take out for yourself is like the time you would spend sharpening the blade of your axe, before jumping to cut the trees right away. This gives you a headstart in your day as compared to others.
3. Strive to do something new
How do you become good or let’s say great at anything? By learning or doing something new every day or at least every week. By changing yourself in short intervals of 7 days, in small ways, you will mould you into something you have always looked forward to. Not doing new things keep you in a rut. These new changes don’t have to something big. You can start by making small changes like listening to interesting TED Talk right before going to bed or while getting ready in the morning.
4. Learn to be an active listener
Listening is one small yet one of the most important life skills, you have at your disposal. It has been just under-utilized from the advent of the technology-driven world. It is one great learning tool and relationship builder. If you ask a question to someone, rather than thinking about how are you going to react to it or what are you going to say after that, just listen. Your full attention is the greatest compliment you can offer someone.
The Bottom Line
The aforementioned small changes are broad and are be benefitting to people from all walks of life. In reality, we need to tailor these small changes that fit right into our long term goals. You can identify the changes by asking the following questions to yourself:
- Possible changes that you can make right now that can potentially change your tomorrow?
- Which small thing you wan to seed and which one you want to nurture into habits?
- What do you aspire to see in you? Are you doing something to reach there?
Small changes, when given consistency, yield big results.