It’s that time of year when everyone is making New Year’s Resolutions! There’s just something about a clean slate that beckons us to take stock of where we are, where we want to go, and make resolutions to get there.

The problem comes, as we all know, around mid-February–if we last that long!  Then our firm resolve and determination seem to have flown the coop!

I have taught the Suzuki method for piano for many years, as well as have taken my older daughters to many, many Suzuki lessons and group classes over the years.  Dr. Suzuki taught that the way to impress something upon the young child’s brain was repetition–he advocated doing something 10,000 times to accomplish this!

I remember one of Jessica’s harp teachers asking her to practice a particular part of her music 1000 times over the next month.  Does that sound daunting?! She broke it down into how many times per day she would need to practice those few measures.  It averaged out to 250 times per week, and then further down to 50 times per day (allowing for a few days off or where she might not be home as much to get that in).  This was on top of her regular practice of two hours per day!

But by breaking it down into “manageable bites”, she corrected a bad habit and learned that part to where she could nearly play it in her sleep! 🙂

Often we relegate the “little things” as unimportant, or, at best, a mundane chore.   Yet it is in the seconds and minutes and hours that important decisions are forged, habits are solidified, and the direction of a life is set.

I have lost 9 sizes– 200 inches!  But you know what?  I didn’t lost those inches 10 and 20 at a time.  In fact, my greatest inch loss was my very first week–around 5 1/4 inches.  The next week was my next largest loss in one week–around 4 3/4 inches.  Over a third of my inch loss over those 4 1/2 years was under 1 inch per week.  That’s right! The next third of my inch loss was under 2 inches per week.  What if I had given up because I “only” lost 1/2 inch so much of the time?!

I’d still be a size 22W, tired all the time, and unhealthy!

Those “little bits” added up, sometimes 1/4 inch at a time.

That is the way good changes are made.  Oh, it’s fine to have a goal, a resolution, but if you’re going to make those goals reality, you will need to make changes–one, small, good choice at a time.

That might mean going back to Instructionals–or staying on them as long as it takes until you “get it”.   Or it might mean adding 1 more veggie than you’re eating right now vs. trying to suddenly add 7 veggies a day to your diet while cutting out wheat, sugar, dairy and eggs.

Sometimes health concerns demand a bigger, more sudden change.   But often we try to overhaul too much at a time, get discouraged and then……quit.

Let’s make 2013 the year of little steps!

One more veggie than you eat now.
One more glass of water than you drink daily now.
One less sugary or starchy treat than you currently eat.
One more workout per week (or move per day) than you are doing now.
One day of God-made foods per week.
One positive statement about yourself each day–or at least one less negative statement.
One thing entered into a gratefulness journal each day, even if just a few words.

Don’t overhaul it all at once!  Baby steps!  Yes, it seems slow in the beginning, but just like 1/4 inch here, 1/2 inch here, they add up!

And you’ll find yourself at the top, with a breathtaking view, and you’ll say–

“It was worth every step!”

If you need and want help breaking down your goals into steps, or even help setting goals, there are several options on my Training with Trisch page–including a great special on Skype sessions going on now through the end of January!

Photo credits:

myronreynard

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