Small Changes Lead to Big Results
Accomplishment is the accumulation of positive and progressive small decisions over time.
In the spirit of talking about how we can maintain and inspire success - I thought it would be beneficial to discuss how we work toward it. We know that we need to be surrounded by others that encourage and inspire us to keep moving forward - now we need to understand how we can produce our own wins to encourage and inspire those that support us.
I'm sure that most of us have experienced the demonstration of what happens in case of an emergency on an airplane. Flight attendants tell us that if oxygen is lost during a flight, it is best to put the oxygen mask on ourselves before helping someone else - even if that someone else is your kid or your spouse. We may hear this enough to the point that it becomes passé, but this is actually a classic lesson on self-care and self-preservation that will stand the test of time. We cannot do for others what we cannot do for ourselves. So, what does this have to do with our journey toward success? Short answer - everything.
I noticed that my life trend was correlated to my decisions. When I chose to base my life off of others needs and desires, I found myself in some of my lowest moments. The moment I decided to do what was in my best interest - my life began to change very quickly. I grew up as the person that was constantly at the mercy of others. I took on a lot of outside opinions and measured my abilities and potential around what others deemed to be true for themselves. To a degree, I lived my life as a martyr. I thought I was making the ultimate sacrifice by considering others so deeply. I got to the point of valuing others' opinions and ideas over my own. For so long I thought I was doing something so right and profound. Little did I know that I was not only limiting my own potential, but I was also limiting the potential for those around me. In hindsight, I was trying to put the oxygen mask on every passenger on the plane before I put it on myself.
We are constantly being reminded that we live in times of instant gratification. It's usually talked about with a negative connotation, but there is a silver lining. I found a version of instant gratification when I began making positive decisions for myself. When I ate a healthy meal, I would then feel lighter and full of energy. When I cleaned my house on the weekends, I would have a more organized and less stressful week. When I ended unproductive relationships, I had room to create new ones. It was as if I had a treat awaiting me on the other side of each moment I chose myself first.
As I'm sure you've heard before, success doesn't happen overnight. Success (or any type of achievement) is the collection of small choices over time. James Clear said it best in his book "Atomic Habits" - wins come from incremental changes. Some may groan at the idea of having to wait for anything, but those that truly want success can understand that there is gratification along the path toward the end goal. Aside from that, we can be motivated by the idea that every moment matters and if we can just do the next right thing, we can see positive results.
