Small daily habits can change everything
By spicymary
@spicymary (558)
Romania
January 2, 2013 5:52am CST
I was thinking about this, about how our biggest goal shouldn't necessary be do a great thing once in a while, but a small thing everyday. That's the way we change ourselves, we earn knowledge or money or we distroy something that could have been good.
It striked me when I had a conversation with a friend, about how much time we need to get ready. She needs half an hour more than I do, because she spends a lot of time doing her hair. I told her in joke (but now I think how true it is), 30 minutes could mean 30 read pages. That means 10950 pages in one year. 36 books with an average of 300 pages. 36 books could mean a wider view about life and culture in general, or could mean that you achieve to master certain subject.
What's your opinion about this? Do you try to have healthy (for body, but also for soul) habits? Is it difficult to keep them?
2 people like this
11 responses
@mensab (4200)
• Philippines
2 Jan 13
it is true that small habits can bring profound changes if they are sustained in the long run. the small habits should be built around the goals. they should be directed towards the achievement of goals in life, so that those baby steps will get closer to the reality of our goals. let's do it this year 2013.
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
I also make this kind of resolutions when I am close to a new year. Some stick around, some don't. But it's a great opportunity to begin changing your life.
Some say that if you want to make a big change, you should do it immediatly. Now is the best time, not tommorow, next month, next year. I don't agree with this. If the deadline is not a common one (everyday is today), you feel that you are more responsable to not quit on that habit. If you quit, the next best opportunity will be next year, and you don't want to wait until than to be the person you want.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
2 Jan 13
I think that what you have said is true. We should make small, good steps everyday than trying to achieve something real big but with really no assurance of giving us something positive in life. One good small deed can truly make a difference.
2 people like this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
And it's impressive how big can be that difference. I wouldn't imagined before making the calculation. And besides the example with reading, I feel that mylot is great daily habit for me. I don't write too much on a day, but writing something everyday, searching an unknown word in the dictionary or researching a grammar issue, makes me feel I already know a little more English. I'm curious how it will look like in a few months.
@creationhub (3066)
• Malaysia
2 Jan 13
I once posted about small habits years ago in one of my posts. I believe that it is in the small things in life that reflect how we will be in bigger things. If we are faithful in the little, so will be be faithful in the big.
Most people don't take small things like actions, habits seriously.
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
I agree with this. Everybody can dream about making a great thing, taking the right position in certain memorable moment, but the real challenge is in what you do everyday, not somewhere far, in your imagination.
Kierkegaard, a philosopher that greatly inspires me, said that it's a proof of cowardice to focus on great, enlithening things. You flatter yourself that you wait for something big, when in reality you just use this as an excuse to let all the small things pass you by, without doing anything.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
2 Jan 13
I find I tend to procrastinate and also have to talk myself into doing things. Now since we are in the New Year, I decided to fight that procrastination. I am not a good reader, I learn more from listening and seeing rather then the words. Besides having astignatism does not help much. I also find when I cook something one time and divide into four or more portions, and freeze them, all I have to do is take one portion out of the fridge and thaw it and just add a salad. It is just a small thing such as deciding to turn off the tv and pulling the plug out the wall or deciding to only watch certain programs, that time I have gained means I have more time to write my novel, practice my singing, play the piano, get the housework done, and of course, to do my mylotting.
1 person likes this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
I know what you mean. There are so many distractions that keep you away from what you really want. It's difficult to avoid them, but than you are upset because you didn't taked the most from your time. TV can be a serious addiction. I prefer not to turn it on, because when I do it, I just can't stop staring at some stupid tv show. Of course, there are also great tv shows, but the others entartain me more in a strange way.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Jan 13
I keep my tv off most of the time, but there are some shows that I have to see. I love cooking shows, and have my favourites, but when I find those shows have an agenda in that they ask certain people as guests because they are of a certain category I will turn off the TV. I know when they are chewing chefs for a contest as the Best Chef in North America, I would rather they choose the chefs according to their ability, not because they happen to be sleeping weigh so and so, etc. I do not have the TV Guide magazine so I have to turn it on. I also find it I unplug the Tv power bar, and turn off the power bar, it is much easier. Also it is in the bed room and I am in the living room. You just have to decide to watch the shows you really want and not the junk.
1 person likes this
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
2 Jan 13
Anyone can change for a better or for worse.
There are good people who become worse due to the society while there are bad people who turns good due to influences of friends and people who really care.
I have the habit of putting aside my aspiration to lose weight- now I am having problem with my clothes- everything is hard to fit.
But I am thankful as well- those clothes becomes my inspiration to lose weight and I made it..in a span of a week I lose few kilos and now slowly I can fit in to my old clothes.
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
It's a good method, to use something very visual, as your old clothes to motivate yourself. I'm happy for you that you succeed. I know losing weight is a difficult thing to do, frustrating and annoying. But the rewards make the challenge worth. If you do it to feel better in your skin.
@caopaopao (12395)
• China
2 Jan 13
As for me, it's a little difficult to keep the healthy habits. During the weekdays, I have to work, so I get up early, eat my meals regularly and go to bed on time.. But I am always eager to have my weekends, on weekends, I often get up late, go to bed late and always have brunch instead of breakfast and lunch, I watch movies most of the time, I am always so attracted by these movies that I sometimes can't spare time to go out for a walk. I know all of these habits on my weekends are not healthy, but I just can't help doing these. I hope I can have the same schedule as the weekdays, but it's really hard, you know.
2 people like this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
Well, it's your right to relax after a week of work. Everybody feels the need to do it regularly, because life can't be just about following the rule and what is the best all the time. It's healthy to do only what you want, without any constraints sometimes. And movies are a great way to spend time and also gain some knowledge. I wouldn't consider them as lost time.
@flagella08 (5065)
• Philippines
2 Jan 13
that's right but it's always one's choice to make. Normally, it is about getting the big things done.
After all, we have to stick to our priorities, right?
However, if we let enough little things by… they start to add up.
Before we know it, the flood waters have reached our waist.
And then there is a lot more work to do.
Little things unattended become big things.
Tasks undone create more work.”
We intend to do these seemingly simple and innocuous tasks, but we never get to them.
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
Little things are really important, but few people understand this. I neglected this aspect for a long time, but I don't want to do it anymore.
I discussed this aspect with my boyfriend, he is a little older than me, but from the generation that didn't had internet and didn't went out often. He spend his high-school years mostly reading (again this example). I spend my high-school years mostly going out with friends. I didn't thought than that this is problem regarding my goals in life. My teachers always told me that I don't do enough and I was surprised, because I always had the best grades from the classroom. What should I do more? Now I see that there are discussions where I keep quiet because I don't know the subject. And I should've known it. My boyfriend can speak about everything. And he made his incredible general knowledge just in those years.
@allknowing (130064)
• India
3 Jan 13
I believe in keeping things that I need every single in the right place so that I can pick them up even with my eyes closed. To search for things one needs on a daily basis could be time consuming and so I feel I am saving so much of time by keeping things in the same place every single day.
I also have fixed timings for my chores unless something non-routine springs up.
This helps not only me but those around me.
@mdorki (125)
• Germany
2 Jan 13
I have very few habits, rest changes over the course of weeks or months. Probably the only habit I keep is to take a shower as one of the first things in the morning and brush my teeth after breakfast and in the evening (and usually once or more between the two), well and a coffee, but it isn't always a morning one. Rest of the stuff I do whenever I remember I wanted (or have to) do it. Though, many days I tend to spend hours reading a book, but it is not something I would always do at any particular time or every single day.
1 person likes this
@spicymary (558)
• Romania
3 Jan 13
I think coffee is a great habit :d It's not that it makes feel more awake, but it tastes so good, and when I skip it, I feel I missed something.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
3 Jan 13
Its true, even small habits on our part can mean something great for us. Those things can be easy to do if we would just replace somethign else though in our life.
@babyeve (1048)
• Seychelles
3 Jan 13
This is indeed a true statement. There is a saying here in my country that says 'Beauty can be only seen in small things'. The smaller it is, the simpler it is and the happier it makes you feel.
