Make Small Changes for BIG Results

You've heard the saying: The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Well, the same goes for getting in shape.

Imagine trying to swallow an elephant whole. It's kind of a scary thought really. Same goes for the thought of getting in shape for many folks. Unfortunately, some of us have gotten so far out of shape that the thought of all the work it will take to get healthy and look better is just as scary as the thought of swallowing an elephant whole. The thought is so daunting that it causes us to give up before we even get started. The key to avoiding this is to think smaller. Yes, you read that right, think smaller!

For example, let's say you wanted to run a marathon. You don't just get up off the couch and go run 26 miles right? Of course not! That would be impossible. Instead, you would do the smart thing and start running small distances and build up to a marathon distance. You should take the same approach to getting in shape.

Here are four steps to help you think smaller to reach big goals:

1. Identify the big goal. Although you won't stay focused on this, it does provide you a starting direction of where you want to go and what you want to accomplish.
2. Make sure the goal is relevant! This is VERY important. It's your motivation and why you want to reach your goal. Always ask yourself this question when setting a goal: How will accomplishing this goal improve my life?
3. Determine your first step. Find just one thing you can do to get the process started. For example, walk 15 minutes every day for a week. Once you've accomplished that, you can build on it by adding another action step.
4. Forget about the big picture and stay focused on each individual step. Once you've set the goal and determined your action steps, forget about it and focus only on completing the action steps. Before you know it, you will have reached your goal!