Health from A to Z: B – Baby Steps

Today we’re going to be talking about one of those broader philosophical concepts relevant to healthy living: Baby Steps.

There’s a tendency, when it comes to healthy living, for people to want to jump into the deep end with both feet.  We realize we’re not eating very well, not exercising enough, or whatever the case may be, see a huge gap between where we are and where we want to be, and try to leap over that chasm all at once.

Inevitably, what happens in almost all cases is that we burnt out or we fall flat and give up.

It’s counter-intuitive to focus on very small steps when we feel like we have so very far to go.  But generally speaking, small changes are easier to maintain.  And if you keep adding on more small steps, incrementally, you’ll eventually be very far from where you started.

Baby steps.

I think this is so important that it’s the name of the course I’m working on!  (Stay tuned.  I’m hoping it will launch no later than early summer.)

How can you make greater progress by going smaller?  Is there an area in which you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?  If so, look for a way to make the change less of a leap.

If you’re trying to drink 8 glasses of water each day and you’re currently not drinking water at all, aim for one (or, perhaps, specifically to swap one glass of ______ for water instead — whatever you normally drink).  Are you eating out all the time and hoping to do better?  Try aiming for one dinner at home per week (or only one eating out, or whatever combination is a good small stretch for you) or one sack lunch carried to work.

Sometimes, even the preparation is a big step that can help get past the inertia.  Do you need to call the gym and sign up?  Order a water bottle?  Find 7 new recipes to meet certain dietary requirements?  Buy appropriate workout clothes?  Take a moment to figure out what’s holding you back from reaching that goal, and set a goal to just do the next thing.  

Leave a comment and let us know what goal you’ve made smaller!