One Small Change
Enjoy this guest post from Big Sky New Britain Master Trainer Maggie Nelson. Maggie has her bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, as well as her NASM CPT and Precision Nutrition Certification. She’s passionate about teaching people to live a happy, healthy, and balanced life.
Do you find everyone around you has been diving into their resolutions headfirst and taking on the new year with big changes? Their huge goals for the new calendar year seem exciting and inspiring… but also somewhat all-consuming and daunting at the same time. After the two years we’ve just been through, it seems for some people the approach could possibly be a smaller one – One. Small. Change.
Every year as the holidays wind down and we feel January drawing near, we start thinking about our resolutions and how we can get healthier or stronger. What should our next goal be? How can we drop 20 pounds fast? How can we totally change our lives starting on the first of the year? While resolutions always begin with good intentions, it’s tempting to skip the small stuff in our quest to make the big changes. So let’s focus on the easier things this year, because if we’ve learned anything since the spring of 2020 I think it’s this – slow down and appreciate the little stuff!
For many of us, adding in a new habit can seem more daunting than taking one away. Our already busy schedules seem packed to the brim with activities – but let’s look again. Is there something taking up a good portion of your day or week that you can eliminate? We aren’t talking chores here that have to get done. No, you can’t eliminate laundry. But could you cut back on social media scrolling, mindless tv watching, or commitments that you no longer enjoy to free up more time for yourself? Maybe adding in that yoga class or workout is more doable if you only go to one happy hour per week instead of 2. Let’s make this a year of using our time wisely and taking away some of the things in our lives that don’t move us closer to our goals in a positive way.
Another thing I think we can focus on in 2022 if we’re comfortable with it, is adding in more face to face time. We’ve had our holiday Zoom calls and our school days on laptops. We’ve even given up ordering our coffee in person and now it’s just sitting on the counter when we go inside. Our human bodies THRIVE on interaction, and it has been severely compromised by limiting our face to face interaction with other people. Get away from the screens and get back to seeing people. While the safety of our loved ones comes first, let’s strive to add more in person “hellos” when we can. It’s one small change that will make a huge impact for all of us.
And of course, we can’t lose sight of the “regular” small things that lead to big changes but pick just one or two to start. Things like – drink 100oz of water, go to the gym every day before work, go for a walk on your lunch break, try a new recipe once a week – are attainable if they are realistic for YOU! But set your goals based on your own lifestyle and goals. Goals and resolutions get daunting and unattainable when they get big and out of hand. We need something manageable and exciting to keep going, because success often leads us to continue!
And when I think of the absolute tiniest thing we can all do to make 2022 a better year than the last it is this – give yourself and those around you more grace. Failing at your goals one day doesn’t mean it’s time to completely give up on them. The beauty of setting goals is the time and commitment it takes to get there. No matter how small or achievable the goal may be, there may be some failure along the way. Give grace to yourself and give grace to others as they navigate their goals and failures as well.
So with the flip of a calendar year, our goals are big but our changes are small. Our actions are intentional, and each small step will lead us closer to where we need to be. Big Sky is here to help every step of the way!
Find another guest post from Maggie here!
See you at Big Sky !
