Getting Immediate Results

It’s no secret…I haven’t slept properly in months. I have trouble falling asleep and wake up with a headache every day. It’s been affecting every aspect of my life.

I ended up going to a Pulmonologist and discussed getting a CPAP mask, a dental device, or possible surgery and scheduled a sleep study. In the meantime, he told me to lose weight. Hold up…what? I’m not that heavy that it could be a problem, I thought. Plus, after the birth of my son two years ago, it’s been extremely challenging to lose even a few pounds.

Vicious Cycle.

Because I’m exhausted when I wake up, I have no energy to work out and rely on coffee all day. Because I don’t work out, I can’t lose weight and have no outlet to release stress. Because my stress levels are high and I’m drinking coffee all day long, I can’t fall asleep. It’s a vicious cycle.

Domino Effect.

So, over the past month and a half I lost 4 pounds and reduced my stress levels. And sure enough, I’ve been sleeping better and snoring less. By making one small change to my morning routine, it created a domino effect on the rest of my day.

So…why do I tell you this story? Because it was a perfect reminder of how the smallest change can have the biggest impact.

Start Small, Think Big, Ramp Fast.

As I prepare to train a group of company board members and CEOs tonight on the importance of starting small, thinking big, ramping fast in their businesses, I realized this concept is also applicable to daily life.

I will be teaching them the concept of incremental improvement, which over time can lead to breakthroughs. Never underestimate the power of simplicity. Although you might have a big goal in mind of where you’d like to be ideally (maybe 6 months from now – thinking big), just pick one thing to focus on today – starting small.

The Impact Was Drastic.

When you make ONE small change, it’s much easier to do and stay consistent with. But when you have ten great ideas, it becomes a much more daunting task and difficult to sustain. Once you’ve mastered that one thing, you can try out more ideas – ramping fast.

I didn’t need to spend thousands of dollars on medical equipment to improve my sleep after all. I made one small change to my diet. That’s it. I adjusted the time of day I ate my first meal by a few hours. The impact was drastic.

Soon Enough You’ll Start Seeing Results.

If you’re trying to lose weight, just focus on the first two pounds for now.

If you’re trying to eat healthier, just eat one less snack per day.

If you’re trying to get better at your job, just try developing one new skill for now.

These small, initial results will lead to a series of other changes and subsequent improvements in your life, which will motivate you to keep going.

Your Call to Action: What small change will you make today? Comment below!

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All the best,

Sonia