Reaching our goals is no easy feat. To create any change requires consistency, gumption, and ultimately belief in ourselves. But so often, we focus too much on the end game rather than the success along the way. It is there, in the process, where the greatness exists. That's why at PrimaFoodie we want to celebrate those small wins. They may seem more limited in size, but they add up to remarkable things. 

One of the hardest realities of creating a new habit is accepting that it doesn't happen overnight. For many of us, our goals are punctuated by a desire to have all-or-nothing. We crave instant results or a quick fix and we reject anything less. The image of our future selves—clear-minded, inflammation-free, following a clean diet—loom in our minds, a conflicted picture that both inspires us and acts as a brick wall that we break ourselves against. 

What this mindset creates is staggering: It can often keep us from making our goals. It can also thwart us from experiencing the truth, which is that the real building comes in the micro-steps—the small wins that add up to great change.

This is both revelatory and extremely simple. When we take smaller actions we inadvertently teach ourselves to associate the positive feeling with that action. The neural pathways in our brain light up over wins—big and small. Without realizing it, we become more and more inclined to do that positive small action and add to it with other small actions.

The power of small progress is fundamental to our nature, and there's been profound research over the last half-century that supports this. One of the earlier notable works comes from organization theorist Karl E. Weick. In the early 1980s, Weick took a micro look at the potential of reframing grand societal issues into smaller ones. "To recast larger problems into smaller, less arousing problems, people can identify a series of controllable opportunities of modest size that produce visible results and that can be gathered into synoptic solutions," writes Weick. This strategy, he continues, addresses problems "by working directly on their construction and indirectly on their resolution." In essence: Huge fixes can be daunting, but chipping away via small steps is less so.

The brain functionality behind this is fascinating. Research shows that we can change the architecture of our brains—a concept called neuroplasticity—through our behavior. The connections between our brain neurons show patterns of how information flows. How we respond to things can actually cause those behaviors to increase or decrease, either positively or negatively. Experts have studied this rewiring through functional magnetic resonance imaging machines, which show the brain's responses in real-time. When we take steps, even very small ones, certain areas of our brain light up and we form new neural pathways that support those actions. We do them more and ultimately a habit forms.

If we stop focusing on the home runs and put our energy toward the smaller goals, we can rewire our life. We can find motivation, empowerment, and make long-term lasting shifts. This approach can be taken for everything and anything we want to get a handle on. Let's say you want to completely clean up your diet for good. This is, no doubt, a goal that will have a profound impact on your life. But it may be a drastic change from your current diet. Instead of cutting everything out tomorrow, opt for one step: Cut out gluten. Not all grains, just gluten. In time you'll likely notice a positive difference, perhaps less bloating and more mental clarity, which will enforce another small step.  

In his book, One Small Step Can Change Your Life, Robert Maurer explores the effects of prolonged sitting. The body requires the downward flow of gravity, he writes. Our habit of sitting or lying down for long periods of time causes our bodies to shut down and our muscles "to go into a form of hibernation." But what do we do if our jobs or lifestyles cater to being sedentary? Is the antidote to run ten miles a day? Maurer argues the contrary: "The solution to the health risks posed by excessive sitting is not huge and unmanageable—i.e. a full hour at the gym each day—but rather small and doable," he writes. "Getting up from the desk every hour or so, pacing, even fidgeting all help the body to function effectively."

For years I have been concerned about my mother’s hydration levels. She never drinks water. Of course, I would like to lovingly force her into drinking the daily ounces she needs. It's my impulse to scare her; to tell her that dehydration can lead to a host of health issues. But she knows this common knowledge, and still, she doesn't drink it. So instead of doing the impossible and forcing the water down her throat, I suggested something easier: I told her to get a pitcher and fill it with the amount she needs to drink each day (according to her body weight) right before she goes to bed. The next day, it will be ready and accessible for her. I told her to leave the pitcher in an easy place, out on the counter, so she can pour from it throughout the day. With very little effort or thought, she'll have drunk the water that she needs. And she'll feel better.

This approach can be made anywhere in our daily routines. The key is to make it attainable and to keep it consistent. If you want to work out more, aim for ten minutes of movement. When I have fallen off the wagon with my workout I would walk down to the gym in my former apartment building and walk the treadmill for ten minutes. I just made myself move. That always turned into fifteen minutes. Then twenty. Before I realized, I was back to my full workouts. This is the same for nutrition. If you're reliant on takeout, aim to cook one meal a week. Find a recipe that interests you and follow it. Be generous and patient. Then next week, find a new recipe.

I am constantly inspired by watching my daughter, Dagny. She reinforces what it means to believe in the small wins. It is the most joyful thing in the world to watch this child's enthusiasm over small, everyday things. I believe that witnessing her experience such delight causes my brain to light up and form new neural pathways. It’s fascinating and infectious to observe kids’ intuition. They know how to take care of their emotional needs.

We're in the midst of a global pandemic that has altered nearly every aspect of our lives. Many of us are living against restrictions we never saw coming. We're heading out to essential jobs. We're trying to maintain our jobs at home while juggling the demands of our family and personal lives. Or we're facing job loss. However unique our situations may be, we're all experiencing a collective sense of panic, confusion, anxiety, and even boredom. This makes daily things more and more challenging to get done. They're all tough enough, so the idea of starting something new may grow into a gigantic mountain. But it is in times like these that the importance of not letting it all go is even more profound. We need to take the small steps and set ourselves up for more wins in the future. It's these tinier moments that make all the difference.

With Love,
PrimaFoodie