The Power of Habits: How small steps make big waves

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It’s been sixteen (16) months as of writing this post that I quit smoking. It took me what felt like ages to get to the point of fully quitting that horrible nasty habit. I made attempts in the past. Difficult as it was. It usually lasted about 2-3 months before I gave in. But this time was different.

I did not make use of any fancy tools or apps. I did not go to a seminar. I did not tell anybody around me that I was quitting. One day, I simply decided I was ready, read a book that was in my library for a while already, finished it in one go and quit. I never looked back since.

The book in question? “The easy way” by Allen Carr. The main take-away from it for myself? You need to be ready for change, and it needs to be gradual.

Being ready for change

Now, this post is not about quitting smoking. That’s something you have to decide for yourself. I cannot help you there, I’m sorry. You’re on your own. No, rather this post is about changing habits. Making adjustments in your life, no matter how small, and seeing it grow into a new (and hopefully healthy) habit.

One thing I learned from that book I mentioned before, was that I had to be in the mindset for change. I had to be ready and willing to make the effort. It wasn’t until I felt ready to change, that I really wanted it, that I succeeded.

When you are ready for change, start by identifying what you want to adjust in your life. It doesn’t have to be monumental. For instance, replacing a cola or beer with a glass of water, or taking a short walk during your lunch break. These micro-decisions, done consistently, lay the foundation for bigger shifts in your routine.

Small Steps That Lead to Big Results

Change often starts with the smallest actions. A five-minute walk can turn into a regular morning jog. Writing down a single goal each day can evolve into a disciplined journaling practice. The key is consistency and celebrating even the smallest wins along the way.

But with that said, we all need a bit of help sometimes in staying consistent. I don’t have the magic formula for you, but this is what helped me change my habits over time effectively.

Focus on One Habit at a Time: Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to change everything all at once. It is impossible, really, to spread your focus over different habits and believing you can change them all equally. Tackle one problem at a time and start small. Instead of aiming for a marathon, start with a short jog around the block.

Create a Trigger: Link your new habit to an existing routine. For example, after lunch go outside. Even if it’s in your garden or balcony. Practice breaking the routine and altering your current habits, even slightly

Visualize Your Progress: Use a habit tracker to keep yourself motivated, if that helps you. Checking off each day you stick to your goal builds momentum and accountability. A simple excel sheet with a color-coded row is already enough, or buy a journal or planner and start writing down your progress.

Find Your “Why”: Be clear about the reason behind your change. When you’re tempted to give up, revisit your “why” to keep yourself on track. Sounds simple, but the ‘why’ often runs deeper than you might think. You don’t want to walk every day for your amusement, you’re doing it for your health or cardio. That in turn is because you want to feel good in your skin. Find your Why, it helps.

Be Patient: Real change takes time. It’s okay to stumble as long as you pick yourself back up. Like I said at the start, I quit smoking 16 months ago, but it took me even longer to reach that point of wanting to change. Change. Takes. Time.

Conclusion

Remember: The journey matters more than the destination. It’s about progress in itself, not the end-goal. Every tiny little step towards improvement or new, healthier, habits are in itself already an achievement.

If you decide to eat salad once a week instead of once a month, it’s already more then you did before. So don’t give up, take the small wins and just keep trying. And fail every now and then, it’s part of it as well. But eventually you will look back and see all the progress you made, without even realizing it.

Whether it’s quitting smoking, building a healthier lifestyle, or gaining control of your finances, small daily habits can create powerful ripple effects. Start small, be consistent, and don’t be afraid to make use of tools and resources to help you along the way. Just keep in mind that no matter how fancy it looks: a spreadsheet, task-tracker or project board will not help if you don not have the intrinsic motivation yourself to change. It starts with you.

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