Millimeter Change is Good for the Stuck!

You ever felt stuck? No matter what you do your self-control never seems to kick in. My "millimeter" approach to change is invaluable to getting out of feeling stuck somewhere. Let's say you're in a bad relationship. You want out. You feel stuck -- for financial, emotional -- it doesn't matter what is the reason. You feel you cannot leave. It's too scary. It's too big to take it on. What will you do? Where will you go? Start first with this question: what is the no. #1 thing holding you back? If it's related to financial then you need to do what you might do if you were wanting to leave a job for the same reason. Start a "millimeter" savings plan. You don't have to save a "fortune" to make a change. You start very small. You look at your budget. Then you create a "millimeter" savings plan. What can you spare PER DAY not a LARGE amount of time. Make everything small. Shrink it down. Is it .50 cents? Then set aside .50 cents a day even if it means putting two quarters in a big jar. Make a goal to pay firs and last month's rent or even a down payment. If it's for career, six months of salary is safe. Do it each and every day. Keep your eye on the "millimeter" amount NOT the large amount. You will be surprised how fast your goal is accomplished one "millimeter" contribution per day.

The "Millimeter" One-Minute Rule

Some people are very reactionary. They knee-jerk responses to just about anything that is said or done. These people are typically "drama" people. Without careful thought or consideration, their sudden reactions guide their lives and the responses of those people around them. You may not recognize you are a drama person. Let me ask you this, do you constantly have something major going on? You're always stressed out and reacting to just about anything that happens. You make mountains out of mole hills. No one is going to judge you here. If this sounds familiar then I have some wonderful advice that will only take one, small extra minute to start to change your life and reduce your stress and "drama". 

 

When something happens, give yourself the one-minute timeout. Take one minute and don't just react. Instead take a deep breath. Think about what you want to do or say. It's not magic and it's no hard. It only requires a conscious choice to think vs. react. Reactions are often reflexive. Reflex responses are not always the best choices. BUT take a deep breath. Guess what that does, too. It re-oxygenates your brain. It gives you a moment to reflect. A reflective choice is ALWAYS better than a knee-jerk response. Give it a try. It's simple. You'll notice almost immediate results. When you're not giving the other person stimulus watch how that immediately improves their response, too. It's just a small "millimeter" tip to reduce stress and drama.

Start by Making some New Year's Resolutions

Resolutions are really goals. We just call them resolutions. When you make a New Year's Resolution you are actually "resolving" to do something. Have you made yours yet? It's time to think about how to improve your life somehow. We can all improve something, right? Whether it's personal or professional, time for change. Just remember "millimeter" changes are easy. So think of it this way: resolutions are easy if you do them the "millimeter" way. What's yours going to be? Just go forward and know you can do anything! Believe in yourself! Know you can do it. "Resolve" to do it.

Change Starts with a Decision

The smallest or "millimeter" way to change is simple: make a decision. You can't get on the road to change until you make a decision. It's the smallest way to get moving toward what you want to do. Acting passive is unlikely to get you where you want to go. Yes, sometimes things fall into place, but realize they can't come to you unless you invite them. So whatever the change (big or small) needs to start with you and your choices. Are you going to continue what you're doing and "hope" something changes or are you going to decide to make things happen. You'll find the very act of "deciding" can immediately shift your perspective and invite the right kinds of things to come into your life. Whether it's subconscious or conscious, once you've decided it's almost like taking off blinders. Have you ever noticed that when you think about something you'll start noticing similar things around you? Making an active decision is the first "millimeter" step in the right direction. So make a decision!

Tips to Make and Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

How many of your New Year's Resolutions have you kept? Maybe you can't keep your resolutions because you've made them too big or lofty, and they seem out of reach. Using my "millimeter" approach to change, your resolutions are not only achievable but easily done.

Tip #1: Make daily resolutions -- what does that mean? You do things on a daily basis to achieve your annual goal. You don't make, say, a resolution to lose 50 pounds and then try and lose 50 pounds in a week or even a month. You do one thing a day to help you achieve your overall resolution. Maybe that one thing is to stop eating dessert with every meal. Maybe that one thing is to cut one portion at every meal in half. Start with the small goals to achieve the big changes. (Hint: daily scale watching will not make your goal come any faster. Be patient and make small resolutions to step on the scale weekly or even monthly). Also, weight loss should be about getting healthy and feeling better so focus on what you're eating and how much you're eating.

Tip #2: Persist -- even if you're persisting in the small goals and doing them daily at least you're staying the course. Persistence is the overall key to just about any success. Most things with enough time and pressure (think about Andy's escape hole in Shawshank Redemption) just take consistent work even if it's a small hole dug each day. Giving up is what leads to failure not continuing to try.

Tip #3: Believe you can do it -- some things whether big or small all start in a person's belief in themselves. Daily reinforcement and doing small things each day reinforce our abilities to do something -- anything. And in just the very effort of "doing" is making it "become" what you want. So believe you can do it and if you have to look in the mirror and say it every day, "I can do it!" then do so. Self-empowerment starts with you being your very own fan and supporter.

Being Thankful for Change

It's Thanksgiving and time to think about gratitude and thanks. As has been the theme of this blog, I am always talking about "millimeter" changes. Smaller and more doable changes make it easier to accomplish anything -- and I mean anything. When change becomes less scary and less challenging, it is easier to accomplish. Using my "millimeter" technique breaks it down and makes it even rewarding. Because change can be very rewarding. It can bring new things and people into your life. Be grateful for what it brings. Don't be afraid. You never know where small and big changes will lead you -- and sometimes it's nowhere close to what you expected, but it can be somewhere even better. This Thanksgiving be grateful for your family, friends and your life.

How to Remove Obstacles to Change: A "Millimeter" at a Time

Most people don't make change because all they see are obstacles or reasons "why not" vs. "why not". Obstacles or reasons not to change can be removed a "millimeter" at a time. For example, let's say you want to change careers or start a business, but the thought seems impossible. I don't have enough money. I don't know anything about starting a business. I don't know how. 

 

Each reason can be easily removed with my "millimeter" technique. Write down each obstacle. One day at a time, do something to remove that obstacle until it's gone. Let's take the most common reason people don't do things -- lack of money. Write that down on your obstacle list. Then much like one of those commercials where you can sponsor something or make payments, figure out how much money out of your paycheck you can set aside and save specifically to start a business or change careers or even go back to school. Begin the "millimeter process" of saving. If it's easier do something as simple as put a $1 a day. Keep saving and give yourself daily, monthly or even annual goals. Best advice: save at least six months worth of your current salary to get you properly started and give you enough time to make money -- a millimeter at a time.