Making change happen: go small and go slow

It’s that time of year – reflecting back on 2021 and imagining what 2022 might bring. New Year’s resolutions are flying around and unfortunately, we’re probably already setting ourselves up to fail. Some of this is driven by the many change models most of us have come across. Set a big ambition then move towards it! Don’t get me wrong I don’t have anything against a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). However, what I see happen is once the big ambition is defined, we get paralysed by it and start to find a hundred and one reasons for why it can’t work. We put obstacles in our own way that leave us not knowing what to do next.

I should be clear I am talking about personal change that we attempt as individuals, rather than the kind of enforced major change white rapids we have been riding for the last couple of years. Although even the pandemic inflicted changes have benefitted from taking small steps on the way (more thorough handwashing for example). Think about it like a ladder, the less rungs you have the harder it is to climb.

I am in the middle of a New Year clear out – I’ve been tackling one inbox, folder, or file at a time. I know if I had set myself a target of reorganising the whole office, I would have put it off by now – yes, I know it’s only the 3rd Jan! Instead I have been pottering, taking my time, and making a surprising amount of progress. At the end of the last couple of days I’ve felt a great sense of satisfaction rather than disappointment. It’s a small example but I know it’s helping me feel refreshed and ready to start back to work in earnest next week. Next time you are confronting a big ambition, maybe think about the small (possibly boring) steps you can take right now to get you going.

 Give yourself permission to succeed!