PRINCIPLE 3 – WALK BEFORE YOU RUN

 

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.”

Robert Collier

 

Often when we try to make positive, lasting changes in our lives we fail and end up back where we started. This is usually because we don’t have a proper strategy and try to do too much too soon. We may start off with great intentions and full of motivation and energy but eventually start to feel overwhelmed with the level of behavior change and we quit.

 

To increase your chances of success when introducing positive changes, it is important to “walk before you run”. This means not choosing new habits or routines to implement that are so big and daunting that they cause you anxiety or dread. Instead, the key to success is to start small by choosing an action or behavior that you feel is quite easy and sustainable, and to focus on repeating it until it becomes an automatic habit. Once the new habit becomes hardwired in your brain, then it can be adjusted and tweaked or increased in duration or complexity. 

 

The powerful effect of compounding habits

In the beginning, the habit you choose to perform daily may seem small and insignificant and you may not see any immediate benefits or results. You may feel like giving up because of this or even trying something much harder to speed things up, which would likely become unsustainable and send you back to square one. In cases like this, it is important to remember that the effect of even small habits which are done consistently multiply over time, and these small changes will compound to produce big results and send positive ripples into all areas of your life.

 

Note: The Reinforcing Connection Between Positive Habits

Many of the habits and action steps presented in this Program have a direct positive effect on our ability to carry out other habits.

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For example, there is a clear connection between the food you eat and your desire to exercise. Healthy, nourishing foods provide you with more energy and also improve your mood, which in turn increases your desire to exercise. Consequently, when you exercise you will have more physical and mental energy which often equates to more willpower to resist temptations. Exercise also reduces stress which makes you less likely to comfort eat – and in this way the positive cycle continues.

 

Regular exercise also greatly enhances the quality of your sleep, which, in turn, positively affects your energy levels, motivation, mood and your level of willpower.

 

The improved energy levels and mood we obtain from implementing these three habits also helps us to overcome the resistance that might arise around building new habits in the other areas our lives.