One day as I was perusing around the bookshelves at the library, I came across a book called Small Move, Big Change by Caroline Arnold. She talked about the concept of micro-resolutions as a way to make lasting improvements in our lives. Here were the basic rules she gave:
- it has to be a really small and specific step.
- it has to sound fun or interesting to try.
- it has to be something easy for you to do.
I found this to be such an interesting and daring approach. What if, instead of pushing myself to do big things i don’t really want to do, I focused on things that sounded easy? What would happen then?
For example. I lived in a spiritual community where every day we woke up at 4:30am. It may sound intense, but it really didn’t feel that difficult, because everyone was doing it together. We were used to winding down by 8pm in the evenings, and it was part of our daily flow. It was a great feeling to be up that early in the morning during brahmamuhurti, a sacred, quiet time in the morning before the sun rises. There was a sense of depth to my days when I would give myself this time to be still and be present with myself, before moving outside in the world.
Being in a different season of life now, this practice has gradually slipped out of my daily routine. At first it was occasional sleep-ins on the weekend after a late night with friends. Then it got pushed back to 5:30, 6, 6:30 am. A couple weeks ago I noticed that I’ve been on a regular schedule of getting out of bed around 7:30 am, leaving me just enough time to make breakfast, get ready, and leave for work for the day. I’ve been feeling a sense of shallowness in my mornings, and finding myself wanting to get back to the deep reverence of the darkness before dawn. But so far every day, the snooze button has been the routine.
So here’s where it stands:
Resolution: I would like to get up earlier in the mornings.
Dilemma: I like the idea, but when the time comes, i don’t get up.
Let’s try out the micro-resolution principles to see if they can help.
- A really small and specific step. Instead of striving for every day, I’ll begin with weekdays. Giving myself some depth time before work.
- Something easy for you to do. 5 days a week sounds like a lot right now. How about 3 days/week? That sounds reasonable. I’ve been getting up at 7:30 a.m. these days. How about 6:30 a.m.? The goal of getting out of bed at 6:30am, 3 days a week. I feel like I could do this.
- Is this something I actually want to do? Does it sound interesting? Definitely. Getting back into the routine of being up early is something I’ve been wanting for a while now.
This micro-resolution feels spacious, easy, and good. While it might not be the perfect ideal of practices every day at 5am, it moves me back in that direction; and it’s 3 more hours each week of depth time than the current situation. I feel energized to give it a go. Once this becomes routine, I can see if I’m ready for more. But first, this very real, very small, very easy step. And if this turns out to be too much or I don’t do it, I’ll take a step back; make it easier. And see what happens.
What about you? Do you have a resolution or routine you would like to change? And is there a tiny, practical step in that direction that feels easy to try?
Often, I’ve seen that the initial response to Ayurveda can be a sense of overwhelm. For most people, it is a big reorientation to ground back into the rhythms of nature. During consultations, I like to help people pick 1-2 things that sound easy, reasonable, and that they are interested to try. Once those feel comfortable, then we can find 1-2 more things to experiment with in the direction of wellbeing. And so on.
Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word that means “nonviolence.” It is a way of approaching life with gentleness and respect. So often, in diets, exercise regimes, and lifestyle updates, we tend to push ourselves to get to the goal; we fight ourselves to not reach for the cookie, the drink, the snooze button. But what if we approached our goals with gentleness? What if we turned our attention to things that felt easier?
p.s., I meant to complete this blog post in January. Of last year. Now it’s mid-February in 2023. What happened? I had multiple ideas brewing at the same time. When I’d think of doing one of them, I’d think of all of them. And I wanted them all to be perfect. Hence, here we are. Thanks Caroline Arnold for helping me get to the end of this sentence.
Interested in finding a couple easy steps you can take towards feeling better in your daily life? Send me a message to book a consultation. 🙂
Good Body Ayurveda 