One Small Change
A routine keeps everything together. Things get done, no excuses needed. But they get done the same way, often at the same time and with the same people. All of the sameness, whilst inspiring to start with, can get a bit… well… samey and not as inspiring as before. You don’t want to lose the momentum you built up until now, but you’re feeling indifferent. What can you do? Try making one small change. Just the one thing can make a just enough of a difference. It might also cascade into a you making multiple changes. Small changes that might be enough to spark that inspiration that used to motivate you.
Small things can have a huge impact on your body. When you wake up, do you immediately get up and start the day – on schedule for the routine ahead? What if the one small change would be take 20 seconds to stretch in bed before sitting up. Do you walk or jog a lot? What if the one small change were to choose a different route, exposing yourself to new scenery. That “one small change” might make the walk more interesting.
Small things can certainly affect our perspective. When revisiting an idea, try making a minor detail the focal point and see how it changes the story. For so long we knew that the sun revolved around the earth, how did changing this perspective affect the rest of the story of our earthly existence? And how would that story change if we were to discover that, in fact, the earth and the sun and the rest of the universe revolve around the moon? When reflecting on a disagreement, try assuming that the other person is correct, how does that change the analysis of the subject you’re debating? This is a thought exercise to expand your perspective, and not a suggestion that what you know is wrong. However, making just one small change in your perspective, you might discover things you didn’t know that you didn’t know.
Small things can affect how you see yourself and how others see you within a social context. How would a social interaction differ if you changed your eye contact? How would a social interaction change if you stood beside someone instead of in front of them? How would a social interaction change if you listened instead of talked? How would a social interaction change if you spoke with a firm voice instead of a quiet voice? How would a social interaction change if you smiled? How would a social interaction change if you just upped and walked away? You might find that making small changes, resulting in you putting yourself across in new ways, may be more beneficial for certain relationships.
My “one small change” happened this weekend. Out on a walk, I tried a path through a park instead of the main road I was familiar with. In the park, I found myself in a quiet part, so I took off my headphones, and music and podcasts were replaced with the sound of birds and trees. Then I found myself half an hour without my phone, giving me time away from glaring light and endless scrolling, reading two paragraphs from a book I had in my bag. After that, I returned to doing the things I normally do, but with one massive change - I was excited again. One small change set off a series of other small changes that otherwise would not have happened which brought about a refreshing and excited perspective on the normal routine.
“One small change” can make a big impact on a whole lot of things.