Change: In Bite Sized Pieces

Posted on Posted in Counseling Blog

Are you tired of WANTING, CRAVING, AND DREAMING OF CHANGE?  Do you find yourself frustrated that every time you try to change you slip back into old patterns?  Maybe you’re trying to motivate someone else to change only to be left with energy spent on your end and no movement on theirs.  

The past has shown you, that change is a difficult task and so many feel defeated or stuck before attempting an alternative way.  “What’s the point,” you may hear yourself asking.  Change is not some illusive transitory state, a promise of a better life, or relationship cure, change is simply a different action or reaction then you have made before.

It is literally that simple.  If you break change down to its functional parts you will see that change is literally one choice away.  It may seem tedious but it is within these incremental choices that change evolves.  

Let’s put this into practice.  Say your New Year’s Resolution was to lose 15-pounds, great goal; however, you already find yourself frustrated and losing motivation to get to the gym.  Rather than giving, up break it down.  Remember losing the 15-pounds (can be) the easy part, maintaining the loss is the tricky part.  If you don’t look at this ‘diet/fitness’ plan as a series of different choices you may never get the desired result or if you do, you may not have created the ‘lifestyle’ change required to sustain it.

A closer look:

Choices that present themselves to you before you even get to work:

Get out of bed 15 minutes early and move your body

Have an apple versus a Pop-Tart

Add half the cream to your coffee rather than the full serving

Pack healthy snacks to bring into work so you don’t get ravished only to return home and devour the contents in the cupboards.

As you can see bite sized choices present themselves several times a day.  These are simply before work, you can take it until lunch, break time, and then the commute home.  How about once you get home, preparing supper, snacks as you watch your TV shows, and then the sweet tooth craving right before you hit the pillow.  These are all opportunities to create the change you desire by simply making one different choice.

Let’s do it differently today, all you need to do is start with one and work from there.  Trust me after you start feeling the sense of pride from making different choices you will continue towards your end goal.  It seems slow at first but you will get on a roll and finally satisfy your craving for change.