 Last week my husband and I arrived home safely after another amazing holiday. We had three weeks in Nepal doing a Jungle Safari, hiking and white water rafting, then two days in Bangkok to relax in luxury! All in all it was an unforgettable trip; we swam with elephants, canoed amongst monkeys, crocodiles and the most beautiful birds and butterflies I’ve ever seen, we hiked for five days through the Himalaya mountains, up and down hills, through beautiful villages, passing locals working in the fields, and then we had three days white water rafting on the Kali Gandiki River, which was thrilling to say the least!
Last night I had a client’s son come for a coaching session. He’s 18, full of life and working towards his HSC. We were speaking about life in general and what he could do differently to make sure his life turned out the way he wants it to and it got me thinking. I now have a fantastic lifestyle, a great home, regular holidays and a man whom I adore, what was the key to making all this happen?
 As I reflected after our session I came to the conclusion that it actually wasn’t the big decisions that I’d made, or the jobs I had or hadn’t taken, it was all the small things that have got me to where I am today. Things like self-discipline, setting myself small achievable goals and working towards them. I was explaining to my young client that when I was in high School I gave myself a weekly target to study for a minimum of 10 hours a week and if I got to Saturday night and it hadn’t been done, then I’d spend all Sunday making sure I reached that goal.
At a young age I began to build my own confidence, not from reaching massive goals and extraordinary success, but from knowing that if I committed to something then I’d follow through.
So today I want you to think about the little things in your life and what needs to change. Don’t try to become perfect next week. Work on one small thing at a time and fold that into your life until it’s become part of who you are.
Here are some simple ideas and concepts to get you started.
Exercise: Doing regular exercise is not only great for your body, it also enhances your mood, stimulates your mind and keeps negative emotions at bay. When you think of exercise, don’t pester yourself into getting a gym membership, or new runners; start with a simple walk with a friend a few times a week. This has been proven to be the most sustainable form of exercise. It really isn’t that hard is it?
 Diet: We all know that we should eat more fruit and veg, so stop hounding yourself about the Tim Tams and mud cake you devoured yesterday and start adding fresh fruit and veg into your diet every day. When we deprive ourselves of the food we love, we simply leave a hole and it becomes hard work. Instead, begin by adding carrot sticks or an apple to your lunch. Again, start with easy steps, wait until you love the carrot and then look for another food to add, perhaps some dried fruit for snacks, or a fresh fruit juice in the morning.
Sleep: What is your routine for bedtime? Do you dawdle in front of the TV procrastinating, or do you set a time that you need to be in bed by? How and when do you wake up in the morning? Those that fight the alarm clock and make friends with the snooze button wake feeling disappointed that their respite is over. Those that simple get up when the alarm goes off look forward to their day ahead. Gradually start to take control of your sleep patterns and make sure that you’re going to bed and getting up when you choose to!
Thoughts: Most people don’t think of thoughts as a positive or negative habit. Let me assure you, this will have a much bigger impact than anything else that’s come before it! Notice where your thoughts drift to during the day, who is leading them around? Generally our thoughts have a ‘mind of their own’ (excuse the pun) and simply stray on random tangents with complete disregard for whether or not they are helping or hindering us in our quest to improve our lives. A simple step forward to begin making positive changes is to start a gratitude journal and each night write 5 – 50 things that you are genuinely grateful for. This is a great start to giving you the positive outlook you desire.
 Remember, don’t aim for an epiphany today and start on every suggestion I’ve made, rather, choose something that appeals and you know will make a difference to you and make those small changes. Get into the habit of improving your life. That’s the most positive change of all!
Remember, if you can control the small things, you will have much greater success with the big things!
If you’re really ready to step up and start living life and need a little assistance to get started, please give me a call on 0409 224 303 for a complimentary coaching session and we can work on it together. | 
