Small Changes > Big Changes

In my last post,  I talked about what I called The First Law of Personal Development.

Today, I want to introduce The Second Law of Personal Development. It may seem a bit counterintuitive. Stick with me.

The Second Law goes like this:

Small Changes  >  Big Changes

Yes that's right. The Second Law of Personal Development says that small changes bring about greater results than big changes.

What do I mean by that?

What I mean is that if I am coaching someone who wants to make a monumental transformation in their life, I will always start with small and what may seem like insignificant changes. If I am watching someone who is attempting a major breakthrough, I can often predict their success based on the magnitude of the changes they implement.

Perhaps an example will be helpful.

Say we have two people who are 50 pounds overweight. They both develop plans for their weight loss.

Plan #1 looks like this:
1) Cut calories 700 per day down to 1,500
2) Run 4 miles a day 3 days a week
3) Exercise at the gym with weights 3 days a week
4) Cut out all sugar

Plan #2 looks like this:
1) Wake up 30 minutes early and go for a brisk walk

Which person would I put my money behind to have lost more weight in 6 month?

 I would pick #2 every time.

Why?

Plan #1 COULD certainly be more effective. If you stuck to it weight would certainly come off quickly. The IF is the problem. Sticking to a diet or workout program that is too extreme is difficult. In fact, failure rates are not only high, often after dieting people end up putting on more weight than when they started.

Plan #2 may have minimal immediate impact, but it is a change that can and will last. A person who walks 30 minutes a day for a year will have burned thousands of calories. The person who diets than binges will likely still be battling weight issues.

So the first reason small changes are better than large ones is that small changes are sustainable. You can commit to them and accomplish them over a long period of time.

There is another more subtle reason. I believe it is more powerful. Our brains are so wired for failure. Most of just don't believe we can make and maintain lasting change. Our history has proven to our brains that changes only last for a week or two. The second we slip up our brain says "Here we go again" and we backslide into old habits.

How many times have you tried to lose that extra 10 pounds? Every time you have tried and failed your brain builds up proof that you aren't capable.

We need to change that mindset. Making a small change and then sticking with it has tremendous power. Suddenly your brain sees you are serious.

"Woah" your brain exclaims "She has stuck to this change for 2 months, maybe I should take this seriously."  Once the brain starts to believe, other changes will become easier. Suddenly you are the kind of person who DOES. Believing that you are succeeding breeds more success.

In your own personal quest for change, whether it's losing weight or developing an attitude of gratitude. Whether you want to meet the person of your dreams or save money for retirement. Start with small changes. Stick to them, and then add more small changes. The improvement you see over time will be dramatic.

Small Changes are greater than Big Changes.