Day 117: What If Change Was About Doing Less

The manager stood at the front of the room and said, “Time to turn in your goals.”



Every month, same thing.



The goals were written on the form in less than 2 minutes and turned in.



It was meaningless.



But it was required.



Most goals are not reached.



Most New Year’s resolutions start to fade in about 2 weeks and after the end of January, things are pretty much back to normal.



There is a misconception that change requires you to do something more than what you’re doing now.



That’s why it can feel so heavy.



Actually, change is more likely about letting something go.



Subtracting, rather than adding.



If you have the willpower to stop smoking, great.



If you don’t how about smoking one less cigarette a day?



Then when you don’t miss it, take a second one away.



Who said change had to be painful?



It can be simple, easy, pleasant, and rewarding.



Because every time you succeed, you build your belief in yourself to be able to do what you think of as hard things.



It’s empowering.



Even if it’s one cigarette less of a 2 pack a day habit.



Everybody starts somewhere.



Subtracting something from your life makes space for anything you choose.



It creates a vacuum that the Universe will fill with something that brings you joy. 



Instead of giving yourself a goal of reading a book a week, which you think you should do, how about watching 30 minutes less tv every day?



Then you can decide if you really wanted to read in the first place or you just felt like you were watching too much tv.



Sit with that open space and see what shows up.



Maybe you’d rather fill that time with talking with real people, or listening to a podcast, making a meal from scratch, or doing a hobby.



You’ll never know what you really want until you take something else away to make space for it.


When everything is already filled, there’s no space for anything new to come in.


So instead of asking yourself what you need to add, you might ask what you’re ready to release.


And let that be enough for now.



Today’s Gentle Practice

Take a quiet moment today.

Think of something you feel like you should be doing.

Something you’ve been trying to add into your life.

Then gently ask yourself:

“Is there something I can take away instead?”

Something small.

Something that would create a little space.

Take a breath.

And just notice what that feels like.

If you feel like sharing, you can hit reply and tell me one thing you’re ready to let go of, even just a little.

With you,


Lynn