It’s up to you

As I’ve spent the last couple of days reflecting on a productive January and a success at Whole30, I was reminded of a truth that I forget all to often. Whatever your situation, you can make choices to change the circumstance. I was very, very, very unhealthfully overweight. I still am. But I am less overweight because I have changed my circumstance. I started focusing in on what I’m eating, exercising and there are results happening. As for the stuff around our house, there is less clutter and that is progressing daily.

Now this can absolutely seem overwhelming, right? No doubt about it. We see “quick fixes” sold all the time in regard to health. “Drink this shake 2 times a day and you’ll lose the weigh. Oh, did we mention that each shake costs $12.50?” There’s no quick fix. None whatsoever. It’s much easier to put weight on than to take it off. It takes intentionality to lose the weight and even more intentionality to keep it off. But it’s possible. So do you go out, get a gym membership, throw out all the unhealthy food in your kitchen and get to work? Well, that’s a little drastic. Baby steps are the way to go. Anytime you try to do too much at once, you’ll get overwhelmed. Start this way. Instead of 5 sodas a day, go to 3. And incorporate more water. Or instead of trying to find the closest parking spot somewhere, park farther away. You’ll get more exercise in. Starting with little steps changes your mentality and creates new habits. Or (GASP!!) instead of 4 cups of coffee, have 1 and maybe 2 cups of green tea. You get the point. Little changes make a huge difference.

The same thing goes with your stuff. You may feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. That’s OK. It’s up to you. You’re in charge. Maybe it’s just starting by cleaning off your kitchen counters and keeping them clean for a week. A small habit, then you add to it. Then you take the next step. That could be books, CDs, clothes, whatever it is where you feel cluttered. Go through and ask, “Do this have a definite purpose in my life?” And if that answer is no, get rid of it. If the answer is I’m not sure, put in a box and put the box aside for a while. If you don’t find yourself needing it or thinking of a purpose for it, get rid of it.

Little steps are the biggest way to make a change. It’s up to you. You can do it!

The first step

It’s said that the first step is the hardest. And while that may be true, the first step in making a change isn’t that hard.....once you decide where that step is. Most of the time when we look around our houses, our lives, our whatever the case may be, we can become overwhelmed and paralyzed. So, we hesitate to change. Or, we feel like the change must be immediate, sweeping, overwhelming and done quickly. But here’s the reality. Any change has to happen slowly and over time.

So, where do you take the first step? Great question. Don’t think about it too much, just pick a spot and start. Whether it’s a drawer, a shelf....something. And then keep at it. Little by little, you’re going to make those needed changes.

Or maybe you’re looking to make healthy changes. That’s not too hard. Instead of looking for the closest parking spot, choose one a little farther away. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Swap out that “sweet treat” for some fresh fruit. There’s lots of simple first steps that you can take.....literally!

The whole point is building good habits. A lot of times those habits are built by avoidance and procrastination. Or simple laziness. My youngest daughter is 6. She doesn’t put things away in her room and consequently, the floor is typically littered with stuff. She only wants to pick up with “help”. A couple of days ago, she and my wife spent a whopping 20 minutes and her floor was clean! Now, is it still clean? It’s walkable, but there’s a few land mines to be avoided. But, even as adults, we can be that way. “It’s going to take so much time” we may say. But in reality, it only takes a few minutes, and then we’re free to read a book, watch Netflix, or whatever we need to do!

So what’s your first step today? Comment with your first steps and let’s encourage each other to keep going with those little steps every day!