What’s the catch? You’ll need to carve out a few minutes, per day.

There are an infinite number of excuses that keep us all from making changes that will improve our lives. Do you want to learn to play guitar, or learn how to cook Indian food, perhaps you would like to simply read more books – the list goes on.

Read on to learn about how the cumulative effect of small commitments really adds up.

“In today’s world, it’s incredibly easy to get sidetracked from doing what truly matters to you. You must tell your time where to go.“

_{Dr. Kerry Petsinger
Entrepreneur, Mindset & Performance Coach}

1. Write it Down, Make it Happen!

Find the thing(s) you want or need to change. The key here is to focus, be contemplative, dig deep and make sure you “Keep the MAIN Thing – The MAIN Thing!

There’s a great book, Write It Down, Make It Happen, 

The author Henriette Anne Klauser, PhD, expands on the idea of simply writing down your goals and how that is the first step toward achieving them. Using tips and stories Klauser shares exercises to get you started.

A recent review on Amazon

“Its a helpful reminder writing thoughts down carry into processing in real life.”

_Sandra

PRO TIP: Write It Down, Make It Happen, audio book is free using the banner below to sign up.

2. You’ve identified the change,
now use microsteps, tiny changes add up!

If you only worked on somethings for 6 minutes a day but did it 5 days a week – in 52 weeks you’ll have put over 100 hours toward your goals! That’s quite a bit of time! You could read a ton of books or learn to cook or learn an instrument in 100+ hours!

Rather than getting overwhelmed with the idea of coming up to speed on these sorts of goals, could you find a few minutes a day to accomplish the changes you want? Like compounding interest for finances (which is described in my article about growing money), a little bit of work every day will accumulate and soon you’ll be amazed that you did what you set out to do!

For me, it’s time for change. Perhaps you can relate? I need to be healthier, a bit happier and have more joyful success more often.

A little work every day may be the key we seek!

Spend 60 secs or a few minutes every day on a few ‘microsteps’ and soon you will be living a healthier, happier life as you’ll be driving toward what seemed to be impossible goals. Stick with the ‘steps’ for one month and voilà, you now have a new habit that is increasing life quality.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.

_Aristotle

Examples may be journaling for a few mins a day, exercising for 3 or 5 mins a day or being creative for a few mins a day. If you are restless like me, perhaps doing nothing, meditating or practicing breathing a few minutes a day. What are you interested in doing? What do you want to change? What are your goals?

Here’s are my microsteps.

1. Pushups – 60 seconds 4 times a day – minimum
2. Stretches – 3 mins, 3 times a day – minimum
3. Breathing – 3 mins, 2 times a day – minimum
4. Writing blog posts or assoc tasks 30 mins a day – minimum

Arianna Huffington wrote: “My favorite Microstep is around gratitude because gratitude has been found to be the greatest antidote to stress and anxiety, and these times are stressful and full of anxiety,” Huffington said. “So I try to remember what I’m grateful for when doing activities that don’t require my mind, such as washing my hands, brushing my teeth, or doing the dishes.” The results have been amazing, she says. “The science tells us that this practice builds new neural pathways. And we need that because during times like these, the default position of the brain is negative bias and anxiety.”

In this article on investing I share the idea that the compound effect of learning and researching the markets, will over time, make you confident and hopefully make you more money.

3. Repeat the Process!

Now you’ve identified the issue, you have made the changes and it’s a good habit. Now double down. This has made you more confident, happier and eager to take on additional challenges. As you find more personal happiness, fulfillment and creative expression, you can capitalize on the success. Identify the next challenge and work on that!

Staying challenged should keep you from slipping into that dangerous comfort zone.  How do you stay challenged?

• Learn something you don’t know!
• Doing more than you have time to do. This is not to be more stressed, just the opposite, squeeze in a few more minutes that will empower you. You may find that these additional efforts, just a few minutes per day create abundant energy as you accomplish more and more.

By staying challenged, your brain cells work in creative ways for you to figure out new things and how to incorporate them into your life.

Here’s a short and simple list on How Highly Successful People Find Motivation In Challenging Environments

A Deeper Dive – The Microstep Concept Origin

The Microstep concept was conceived by NY Times Bestseller BJ Fogg. Mr. Fogg is a social scientist who is currently a research associate at Stanford University and author. He is the founder and director of the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, later renamed as Behavior Design Lab. His book, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything

This new way to create habits and accomplish more can be summed up by editing a famous quote: “That’s one microstep for me, one giant leap for my goals”

Let us know what your goals or microsteps below.

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