Small Change Leads to Big Impact

My son and I take our dog to the park four or five times a week. It’s a short walk. Jackson loves to play in the open field just as much as our dog, Farley, does. Typically, when we’re ready to go, I’ll hoist Jackson into the carriage seat, I hand him his snack and off we go. Most recently, he’s insisted on sitting in the bottom basket of the carriage. Last week, on our walk to the park he had situated himself in the bottom basket. As we were strolling along the street he began shouting, “Mama, FLOWERS! Mama, FLOWERS!” Each house we passed he exclaimed, “Mama, FLOWERS!” again and again. Sometimes, he would see a ball and yell, “BALL!”. His excitement continued with each house we passed, as we made our way to the park. It was at this moment that I realized he intuitively did for us what I do for my clients, I help them to discover the beauty in their lives by making small shifts. 

You see, we’ve walked the same route to the dog park hundreds of times and he usually points out the cars that are either parked or driving by, but by sitting in the basket he opened himself up to an entirely new perspective. In the basket, he was eye level with the beautiful landscaping of the houses we passed. He had found a new perspective through which he could appreciate life. 

In theory, the shift was small. He was maybe a foot lower than where he typically sits, but that’s all it takes in life. A small shift to see things in a completely different way. In fact, not only is it the small shifts that help us to see things in a completely different way but it’s also the small shifts that create the biggest impact in our lives. There is a name for this, it’s called the Butterfly Effect. The Butterfly Effect is the idea that small, seemingly trivial events may ultimately result in something with much larger consequences. It’s often imagined as a flap of a butterfly wing causing a typhoon. 

James Clear in his book “Atomic Habits” also shows how helpful tiny change can be. By aiming for 1% better every day you can be 37% better at the end of the year. Clear says, “improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable– sometimes it isn’t even noticeable– but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. Here’s how the math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. What starts as a small win or minor setback accumulates into something much more.”

So as we round out the end of the year and approach the new year, what is the tiny change you’re committed to making? What is it in your life that you’re wanting to be 1% better at each day? What is the tiny perspective you could shift that would allow you to experience a more beautiful life? Go do that thing. You might get uncomfortable, but you certainly won’t regret it. 

Big love,