Struggling to Change? Make it Bite-Sized.

Open a new tab on your phone or computer and type in – “Is an egg healthy?”

Search results will shower praise on this super source of protein as well as suggest that eggs increase the likelihood of cancer and cardiovascular disease.  So, which is it?  Just trying to navigate the complexity of this seemingly simple food source can leave one’s head spinning.

That was where I found myself in 2013.  Having recently dealt with some health complications and finding more and more items in my wardrobe that I had “grown out of”, I was left trying to figure out how to get healthier.

Mustering the desire to change was hard enough, now I had to deal with trying to ascertain the necessary facts to recalibrate my diet, in addition to implementing a new exercise routine.  This, all before wondering how supportive my friends and family would be and how I would find the time in my already jam packed schedule.

Looking at all of these obstacles, it was easier to just stick to the status quo, and put off the change just a little longer. It was easier for me to justify and rationalize rather than take the steps necessary to change.

For you, maybe it’s moving house, or changing jobs, ending a relationship, or going back to school.  Whatever it is, when we look at the need to change as one big complex challenge, the change becomes daunting, resulting in us putting it off even longer.

There had to be a better way, a more sure fire way to make sure I didn’t give up on my quest to become healthier. The fix? Like a piece of furniture from IKEA or a new LEGO set, it was easiest when I broke what I needed to do into small bite-size pieces. I found that understanding the challenges that I faced in three critical areas, intellectually, physically, and emotionally, helped me more effectively manage the change and ultimately paved the way to me creating healthier, sustainable habits.

In each of those areas, I listed the important questions that I needed to address to make my change stick, and one by one addressed them, giving each of them the time and space they needed to be solved.

The questions I listed were:

Intellectually:

·         What skills/knowledge will be necessary to make the shift?

·         Where could I acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to make the change?

·         Who could support me with their experience?

Physically

·         How can I change my surroundings to aid in my progress?

·         How will I ensure I have time to pursue my goals?

·         What will I need to address in my current routine?

Emotionally

·         When are times I am most vulnerable? 

·         Who else was experiencing things similar to me?

·         Who can I go to for support?

My efforts then became focused on these bite-size challenges. Each of these could be addressed and managed to some degree of success when they were in isolation.  Doing this ensured that I was moving forward. Meanwhile, I was also reaping the benefits of increased momentum through repeated small wins.

I found that asking other’s for help never became easy, but others were more generous than I had expected.  I built meaningful relationships that were positive, supportive and healthy.  Most importantly I built my self-confidence and determination as I began to deliver on commitments to myself.

This bite-size approach insured that I wasn’t overwhelmed. It also ensured that when I did come up against resistance, because it was specific, I could uncover an underlying issue and address it.

I never managed to get to the bottom of an whether or no an egg is healthy. I know now though, that it’s better to take change one bite at a time.