Small steps make a big impact

I am fortunate enough to have not one, but two jobs that I love. I am a yoga teacher and a health and wellness coach. The overlap that happens with my jobs is pretty amazing. I have had students who became clients and clients who became students. The life lessons that show up on the mat and in the coaching space are incredibly similar.

The other day, when one of my students finished practicing, she walked over to me and said, "I almost didn't come this morning."

She proceeded to tell me the full story of her alarm going off, hearing the rain outside, and rolling back over with every intention of going back to sleep. This is a story I've heard more times than I can count. I teach yoga early in the morning and it's not the easiest time to get out of bed. Most of the time when someone is sharing this story with me they are telling me why I didn't see them the day before.

But her story was different. She did show up.

When I asked her what changed her mind she told me something in her brain reminded her how good she feels when she is finished with her practice.

It sounds so simple, she knows she will feel better so she showed up.

The hardest part of yoga practice and any habit you want to create is also the key to success; consistency. Showing up for yourself every day no matter how much or how little you do.

I think the problem most people run into is being attached to how much time they spend doing said habit.

David Swenson, a senior Ashtanga teacher, says rolling out your mat, standing on it, taking one breath, and then rolling it back up is a practice.

I know a lot of practitioners would cringe at the idea of that being a whole practice. I used to be one of those practitioners.

Time and age have softened me and shown me that my all-or-nothing attitude was not serving me. If my attitude hadn't changed I wouldn't have been able to create habits that would last a lifetime. I would have burned out.

Learning how to step back and see that any effort that heads you in the direction of the life you want counts and will get you where you want to go.

5 minutes of meditation daily is better than 20 minutes of meditation twice a week. 10 minutes of movement every day is better than an hour once a week. Eating one healthy snack daily is better than one healthy meal a few times a week.

Your daily habits help remind you that you are the type of person who shows up day in and day out regardless of what your body or mind is telling you. That sets a groove in your brain. Each time you do the thing you are helping make sure it is a little easier the next time and the time after that. Eventually, that habit gets automated and becomes part of who you are.

It's like brushing your teeth - you know you want healthy teeth and gums and to get that you have to brush your teeth. When you were little you had to think about it or your parents would remind you. There were days you just wanted to drop into bed and not brush your teeth, but you did it anyway because you didn't want to have a yuck mouth. Eventually, you don't think about brushing your teeth, you just do it. It's automated.

Habits take work. You will have to show up on the days you don't want to. That's why it's important to be connected to why you want to do the thing. Showing up on the hard days reminds you that your words and actions are in alignment. That alone will make you feel good about yourself.

Keep your daily actions small and make sure you can do them even on your worst day. Those actions will compound over time until your habit is automated. No effort is too small because consistency is what helps you remain motivated.

Creating habits that you want in your life takes time, patience, and resilience. You have to be willing to look at what isn't working and switch things up to make it work. Remember, just like my student, you will feel better once you do the thing.

What you want out of your life is available to you. You just have to go after it.