The Law of Little Things

                               

                                 "Every little thing you do leads up to a bigger thing."
                                                          George St-Pierre

                                                           

The law of little things

I recently attended a webinar on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy led by Dr. Mardoche Sidor, of the SWEET Institute who spoke about the law of little things as it relates to promoting self-esteem. He was describing a simple behavioral tool that can help us move from point A to point B using the least amount of effort possible.

Applying the law of little things

According to Dr. Sidor, the way to apply the law of little things is to do the smallest things that you can in anything that you are doing to keep going and get it done. It is about breaking up the task/goal to the smallest step to keep going and keep doing-until you achieve your goal.

The law of little things is a simple and very doable approach that can make change in your life much more manageable. Another way of understanding this is by thinking of it as the least effort principle to get you to initiate change. It works.

When you can't seem to get started on the problem/task/goal

Focus on small decisions, small steps and small actions. All it takes is one step forward and you are on your way toward your goals. Why not take a moment to think of one tiny step you can take today, maybe right now.

What is the smallest thing you can do to get started on the problem/goal. Taking any initiative is key to making change happen.

We can tackle anything we set our mind to do including achieving a larger goal if we are willing to break it down into manageable parts. 

Whatever it is you want to accomplish, break the problem/goal into small steps. The more of these little steps you get done, the better you will feel about yourself. Your self-confidence will get a boost with each small victory and you will want to do more as you see yourself getting better.

Focus your attention on incremental change, improvements and progress, rather than the results. Don't worry about how long it will take you to complete the goal. Making progress on things that matter to you will do two very important things: increase motivation to keep going and create forward momentum. We all have motivation, we just have to find ways to tap into it.

Be consistent in your efforts and follow through. In other words, don't give up. Change happens bit by bit, not suddenly.

Should you experience setbacks and lose your course of direction, get back on track as quickly as you are able to.

Little by little we accomplish small, attainable goals and experience small successes that can lead to big change over time. Small steps add up and therein lies its power.

You can put the law of little things to work for you right now. All you have to do is take that first step and start small.

Remember, it's all about making progress and building on small wins which can bring on further wins. 

The next time you feel overwhelmed, remember the law of little things. This strategy will help you when your path is unclear and you're just trying to get through minute by minute, day by day. In times like these, give yourself little goals that are easier to reach to keep you going.

Thank you for reading!