Successful people set ambitious goals. But the high standards and lofty visions necessary for great success can sometimes be daunting. You may want to run a marathon, lose 50 pounds, or build a business empire, but you may quickly find yourself overwhelmed if you mentally focus on such ambitious goals.
The result can be procrastination, or even depression. Clinically depressed people often have goals that far exceed what they feel they can really accomplish. As a result, they often get stuck in a "paralysis of analysis" ? finding themselves unable to initiate actions because they feel they need new skills or more information.
Fortunately, there is a great power in making small changes. Consider this sampling of findings from the research on health and weight loss?
Small changes have big impacts in other areas of life as well. Want to write a book? Write a page a day, and you can be an author within a year. An hour a day studying a new topic can lead to considerable expertise in just a few months. Plastic surgeons bring about dramatic changes in appearance with very small changes in facial structure. If the space shuttle's trajectory is off by a fraction of a percent, it can end up being hundreds of miles from its destination. The list goes on.
So how do you leverage the big power of small changes? Try these three techniques?
1. Revel in small changes. Instead of beating yourself for not having accomplished your big goals, feel good about small improvements.
If you want to lose weight, start with small lifestyle changes such as taking stairs instead of elevators, substituting a glass water for one soda each day, waiting 20 minutes before deciding you want "seconds" at dinner, or eating just one more serving of vegetables each day.
The ancient wisdom of the I Ching states that the process of change should begin with the easy and the simple. Two thousand years later, experts on psychological change concluded that there are two crucial rules for shaping your own behavior: "(1) you can never begin too low, and (2) the steps upward can never be too small. When in doubt, begin at a lower level or reduce the size of the steps."
2. Divide and conquer. Henry Ford said: "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." Elite athletes, for example, routinely set both long-term and short-term goals, but sports psychologists have discovered that repeatedly focusing on the long-term goals can be counter- productive. Instead, focusing on the short-term goals, and the small changes needed to achieve them, leads to more motivation, greater confidence, enhanced performance, and more happiness, both for athletes and non-athletes alike.
Basketball coach Larry Brown, who is currently leading the Detroit Pistons against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals, typically starts each game by encouraging his team to "win the first three minutes." He uses the same technique throughout the game, focusing his team on near-term goals and the small changes needed for victory. Football coaches often use a similar tactic, encouraging players to mentally consider the 16-game season as being comprised of four 4-game mini-seasons.
3. Schedule a time for small changes. Often we don't simply don't make the time for the small changes that can make big impacts. We may (wrongly) consider them to be inconsequential, or shy away from them because they remind us of how far we are from our more ambitious goals. Try scheduling a time for these modest behaviors, and sticking to it.
This technique is similar to "activity scheduling" ? a tactic commonly used as one element of treating depression. Depressed people are often reluctant to engage in activities, such as going to a movie, even though they believe these activities will make them feel better. Committing themselves in advance to engaging in these activities can significantly boost their activity levels and their mood, helping to ensure they make the small changes that have big impacts.
REFERENCES
The findings and recommendations in this article are based on scientific research published in peer-reviewed journals. For complete references, see Psychological Foundations of Success: A Harvard-Trained Scientist Separates the Science of Success from Self-Help Snake Oil by Stephen Kraus, Ph.D.
? 2004 Stephen Kraus
About The Author
Success Scientist Dr. Stephen Kraus is author of Psychological Foundations of Success: A Harvard-Trained Scientist Separates the Science of Success from Self-Help Snake Oil. Steve has a Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University. To contact him or subscribe to his REAL Science of Success ezine, please visit http://www.realscienceofsuccess.com
http://www.realscienceofsuccess.com
I can tell, with 95% accuracy, if you are going... Read More
Today I am going to tell you the #1 secret... Read More
The entrepreneur game is filled with an amazing variety of... Read More
When I was in college, I heard someone say something... Read More
What makes you unique? Answering this question will provide the... Read More
Once you've made it...throw a Success Shindig! Of course you... Read More
It is often said that the only things in life... Read More
In so many areas of life we must always be... Read More
You've tried and failed. You've watched others fall. You're wiped... Read More
What does a sharp saw have to do with lifelong... Read More
Too often we wait for the 'right time' or 'the... Read More
Everybody wants to get to the top, whether it is... Read More
According to Bill Gates there are 3 keys to success... Read More
Pops first set the goal in high school, but when... Read More
Success starts in your mind. Positive Thinking creates the advantage.Success... Read More
Reading is an integral part of our daily work lives.... Read More
Success is a word that is much used in our... Read More
After all the things I have shared with you this... Read More
Of all the things that can have an effect on... Read More
How do you define success?According to the Collins dictionary, success... Read More
Becoming successful requires a lifestyle change. It requires that you... Read More
The secrets of our body language have been around forever... Read More
For centuries Protestant Christians have argued that you can reach... Read More
Today I was glad that I had bothered to read... Read More
When entering second adulthood, many women will begin a journey... Read More
On March 27th 2005, Oxford won the annual boat race... Read More
Most self-help truths are obvious but obvious truths are often... Read More
Over the years many people have offered their models of... Read More
Step 1 ? Learn a powerful key to increase financial... Read More
Imagine that right now, right here, today? there is within... Read More
There's always a first time to meeting people. We want... Read More
As a work-life and career coach, I regularly work with... Read More
Of course by now we are all becoming aware of... Read More
In my work with clients, the issue of perspectives comes... Read More
(excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed audio series)It is a... Read More
The greatest deterrent to success in life is fear. It... Read More
Are you:- feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied with your life?- ready... Read More
These days success is a hotly debated subject. Nevertheless, people... Read More
When you are working over time but yet you do... Read More
There are no two greater ironic comparisons than that of... Read More
From time to time I receive correspondence from individuals with... Read More
Want to be successful in whatever it is you choose... Read More
Napoleon Hill coined the concept of the mastermind alliance in... Read More
Being busy has become a way of life for many... Read More
Recently, I have been riveted by the amazing reality show... Read More
In earlier generations it was common to keep a diary... Read More
If that sounds like you, you're not alone. Everyone needs... Read More
The story that is being used to illustrate the concepts... Read More
This is a little primer on how to start, survive... Read More
I would like to use this medium to introduce my... Read More
Success |