You Can Create Change, Even a Habit! Start by thinking small.

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 11

The New Year inches closer. Are you considering a New Year’s resolution?

I know many who reflect on their year and plan for the next. They look at successes and needed improvements.

I’m not much of a New Year’s resolution maker. I do reflect a lot.

I make resolutions throughout the year. If I need to improve, there’s no better time to start than when I think of it.

Whether you start at the beginning of the New Year or when the mood strikes, the road to your success depends on many factors.

• How defined is your goal?

• Do you possess the tools and skills you need?

• How will you measure progress?

Thinking of what to accomplish to reach your goal can be overwhelming. Just think of it like any journey you would start - one small step at a time.

Any change you want to pursue can be broken down into small steps. A sequence of consecutive small steps gets you to your destination.

• Do you want to build a gratitude habit? Write one sentence a day.

• Interested in meditating? Try just five minutes each day.

• Do you want to read Leo Tolstoy’s 817-page Anna Karenina? Read 10 pages a day.

• Do you need to walk daily? Walk around the block each day.

Consistently executing one small step daily helps build a habit to get you to your goal.

My gratitude habit is in its 18th month. I’m 3 months into Mediation. Anna Karenina was a great read! (I was determined not to fall for the hype.)

For years my daily one-mile walk was standard. It has increased to three miles, adding some steep hills to the path.

I did it one step at a time. Literally.

Photo by S.G.S. Abel

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good

1. Walking is good. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I post pictures daily, and most are of sights from my daily walks. Much like the picture above.

2. A quote: “The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist. The beginner's humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and scary step.” -Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way

3. Do you need to gain knowledge about your chosen goal? Check out the Feynman Learning Technique.

4. If you are a beginner at meditation, check out Healthy Minds Innovations. It’s a great place to start.

5. For my friends who love Christmas movies, here’s a list of family-friendly movies. It’s good how holidays encourage us to spend time together.

6. I’m grateful for patience, both my patience for what I can’t control and others’ patience for what they can’t control.

7. I’m grateful for the small steps (sometimes tiny) I take each day to complete tasks on my to-do list.

Thank you for reading!

Do you know a change you would like to make? Plan a small step!

-Susan