We’ve all heard the old saying, “A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”💯

But why is it so hard to remember it when pursuing positive health changes and outcomes? Maybe because we’re brainwashed by marketers to believe in quick, miracle fixes for everything – instant weight loss, spot reductions, and more.

Sorry, but ancient sayings persist for a good reason: They’re true!

So, the secret to making big, positive changes isn’t instant gratification. It’s making small changes to create new daily habits. The philosophy made a huge best-seller of the book “Atomic Habits,” which suggests we make molecular change at first, then add to it more and more, and repeat this until a new, positive behavior becomes ingrained in our life.

It’s the ages-old idea of delayed gratification: If I make this small sacrifice today, I will be really, really happy about it later.

👉🏽 If I save 10 percent of my paycheck, I’ll have money when it’s time to retire.

👉🏽 If I reduce my number of junk snacks by, say, one for the first week, then I’ll have cut them all in no time.

👉🏽 If I lift a small weight to start out, and then keep lifting it until I’m stronger, I can add more weight later… and repeat the process until I’m as strong, mobile, and balanced as I like.

👉🏽 if I add 1 corrective exercise/self-care activity once a week and show my body some love and gratitude, I’ll have 52 new exercises or stretches that keep my body balanced and able to keep up with the life I want to live.

So, as 2023 begins, keep in mind this super-wise advice to start small, make progress one step at a time… be consistent… be patient… and you will BE SUCCESSFUL in whatever you pursue.

Can you commit to having a vision of what you want, making small changes, and accept that the pay-off may be in the future?