A wise person once told me that, “Taken by the yard, life is hard, but taken by the inch, it’s a cinch.”
I recalled this truism while waiting in a long line at the supermarket checkout recently, where I passed the time by glancing through a few of the tabloids in nearby racks. I was amazed to find no fewer than twenty-one articles of the “Lose Ten Pounds This Week” “Instantly Improve Your Love Relationship” and “Become Rich Overnight” type. If you believe the tabloids, fad diets, visualizing yourself in a peaceful meadow the next time your partner forgets to pick up the dry cleaning and the latest get rich quick scheme will solve your weight, relationship and money problems immediately and effortlessly.
The idea of a quick fix for weight, relationship and money problems is enticing, particularly at the beginning of a New Year when most of us make resolutions and draw up a new set of goals for ourselves. Setting goals and resolving to do better next year is fine, but believing in immediate improvement that requires very little effort on our part sets us up for failure. Making sure that goals are realistic and getting support from others sets us up to succeed.
The bad news is that losing weight, improving relationships and putting more money in the bank (and achieving any other major life improvement goal) are ongoing activities that require taking a series on inch-long steps every single day from now on. The good news is that inch-long steps develop new behaviors that create lasting improvements.
The problem is that inch-long steps can seem to take forever, which is why support can be invaluable. Support other people in getting what they want, and they’ll support you in getting what you want. Make a point of asking your employees to share their goals for 2005 with you, and share yours with them as well. When others feel discouraged about reaching their goals, help them stay on track by pointing out that taking small steps everyday like the ones below brings success. Ask them to do the same for you.
If a goal for 2005 is losing weight, walking briskly for half an hour three times a week will lower weight by 10 pounds less this time next year without making a single change in diet. Cutting back 100 calories a day as well will drop an additional 10 pounds. An added bonus of losing 20 pounds this way is that the additional exercise increases energy, which in turn increases physical activity, which makes it easier to lose more weight.
Visualizing peaceful scenes during times of stress is fine as far as it goes. But when having closer and more loving relationships is a goal, scheduling half an hour of quality time with loved ones every day—time in which no one airs grievances or tries to solve problems—improves relationships much more effectively.
Those of us who set a goal of having more money need to remember that most people who find themselves “rich overnight” spent years working and saving money before their “overnight” arrived. Brown bagging lunch instead of eating out twice a week can save $500.00 a year. Saving rather than spending loose change can easily add another $500.00. Checking out books and videos or DVDs at the local library instead of buying or renting them can net another $500.00. Walking or bicycling instead of driving one day a week can also save $500.00 in transportation costs. Making all four of these small changes in behavior means being $2000.00 richer this time next year.
Support goal achievement (your own and others) by encouraging inch-long steps—they make reaching those goals a cinch!
