If you want to change your life, start by making your bed.

Many years ago, I heard a story about this very thing. A young man decided to change his life. He thought it'd be a good idea to start small by making his bed every morning for 100 days. People who knew him must have thought he was crazy, but it worked! By the end of those 100 days, he had changed other small things in his life too, and eventually became a great success at whatever dream he'd set out to accomplish.

This small step that seemed ridiculous turned into something huge! It got me thinking about small changes that I could make that would lead to becoming a better person. Things like focusing on being happy instead of worrying so much about what others think or trying new activities I may find exciting. Vowing not to complain as much wouldn't kill me either, right?

It was small changes that helped me change my life for the better. I hope small changes can help you too!

The story of the young man reminds me of a quote by Brian Tracy that says, "Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

Start with small steps if you want to make your dreams come true. Just starting is often half the battle won already. One small change at a time certainly does lead to "big" results, so don't be discouraged. You have what it takes! Just start small and go from there!

How to make small steps when your brain fixates on the 'big' results

If you are anything like me, your brain is complex and loves to think. All. The. Time.

Small steps or simplicity sometimes bring up an error message in my brain that says something like, "does not compute. Must do something big and life-changing". Does your brain do that too? I know small steps don't always come easy to me, but I have learned a trick or two!

It's actually the small changes you make each day that lead up to the bigger result. Think about when you started reading this article. You didn't have to read half of it or even a quarter of it before you found something interesting enough for you to stay and read more. No, chances are good that your brain sent out small signals letting you know there was something valuable in this part of the article so here we are! The same thing happens when we take small steps toward our dreams. Just keep taking small steps and before you know it, you've reached your small goals and small goals lead to big goals!

Challenging Perfectionist Fantasies

My biggest small step challenge is my tendency toward perfectionism! I'm good at it too. From the time I was about five, whenever I felt like something was not up to my level of perfect, I'd say things like "I'll never be able to do that!"

When small steps came around and people suggested small changes, my brain would shout things like, "You'll never reach your goal if you take small steps!" It's true! You won't reach your goal by taking small steps because small steps don't make big results happen. My fantasy of perfectionism did nothing but keep me stuck in life where even the thought of trying something new scared me. It's the cumulation of small things that lead to the end result, and not the result rooted in a perfectionist fantasy, but one rooted in authenticity.

How small changes and challenging perfectionist fantasies can change your life:

Changing small things in your life leads to bigger changes - You get out of bed every morning, but what about the other 23 hours of the day? If you make a small step each day like brushing your teeth with a new toothbrush (a fun inexpensive way to make it more interesting), taking a different route home from work, or listening to a new genre of music for an hour a day, eventually these small steps will add up to bigger ones too! The small changes stop the worry path in our brains that lead us directly into negative thinking. Not only that, small changes start to steer us toward small successes which motivate us and give us hope for bigger ones!

Small changes can create a healthier you - You probably know someone who eats well and exercises regularly (or maybe that person is you!). The small steps we take daily towards healthy living can be extra small like taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work or small enough to go unnoticed like always using your free hand to open doors. It's those small actions we make each day that lead up to healthier lifestyles and smaller waistlines and stronger muscles (which leads to more strength in the long run).

Small changes come from small successes - Small steps create small wins, which can then become bigger wins later on. For example, small steps can lead to small goals, small goals lead to medium goals, and small goals create the momentum you need to take bigger actions.

You are capable of more than you think - Don't underestimate your ability! Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged when we compare ourselves to other people who seem like they have their life together in every area imaginable. The fact is that most people are in the same boat as us in that they want success but aren't sure how to obtain it. You may not know what accomplishments you'll be able to accomplish yet because small steps change so much about our lives, but don't give up on yourself just because right now small changes are all you see happening for yourself! Remember, small steps can change your life!

Life can change in small moments - Since small changes start small, it makes sense that small moments are the ones that bring bigger results. The small moments are what help us set our goals and keep us on track with achieving them. It's those small thoughts that inspire us to take bigger actions!

Small steps are so important to making any sort of change in your life. Just because small steps don't always seem like they're doing anything doesn't mean they aren't making a difference just as much as big changes you want to make!

Put it all together:

1. What’s your end point?

2. What’s your starting point?

3. What’s a neutral thought that can take you one step higher that is factual/evidence-based, and believable?

Example:

1. I want a house that is clean all the time, laundry put away, and fully organized & clutter-free

2. I have kids, work full time, am in school, and mess tends to pile up because I’m busy.

3. I have the capacity to have a clean house, and I’m first going to start by making my bed.

Remember this: no dream was ever accomplished by chance; it takes intentional effort over time.

Keep taking small steps toward your dreams every day, even if they may not seem like much. They can change your life!