I was having an email conversation with a friend the other day. We were talking about whether making small changes, maybe even relatively superficial ones, can lead to bigger changes.
My feeling is that they absolutely can.
It’s easy to look at the big picture of our lives, and decide that doing something small won’t really matter. In the face of trying to heal from an abusive childhood, losing 10 pounds or finishing a book doesn’t seem like much. It’s not much, but it’s something. It’s a goal that is reached, an accomplishment. The more small accomplishments we get under our belts, the more our confidence grows, the more we learn and develop the small skills that will be beneficial for the larger challenges.
Being successful and accomplishing goals is a learned skill set. You don’t suddenly learn how to make a plan, stick to it, adjust as needed, and reach your goal, overnight. You spend a lifetime learning and refining those skills. Why not start with small goals instead of overwhelming yourself at the start and giving up?
If a small goal is going to make you feel good about yourself, and increase the likelihood that you’ll have the confidence and ability to make larger changes down the road, that’s hardly a superficial outcome, is it?