Have you ever tried to make several major changes at once? You may have noticed that it can be a huge challenge, even downright overwhelming. That’s because usually when we’re making big changes in our lives we’re shifting multiple small behaviors, decisions, and habits.
What are you aiming to change?
Think about starting a new exercise routine. Yes, there’s the routine of actually doing the exercise (at the gym or at home), but usually in order to even start there are a bunch of other habits you’re shifting too: your morning patterns, lunchtime eating patterns, or after work/end of day patterns. You might be shifting your showering habits or your next day prep habits to make sure you’ve got exercise clothes clean and packed.
Unless you’ve been in the habit of exercise for a long time, and now you’re just slightly modifying what you’re doing, there are probably anywhere from 5-25 different changes that you are making simply to add exercise to your weekly routine. Navigating all those changes is entirely doable, after all we’ve managed to make that many changes at once whenever we’ve changed jobs, moved homes, or added someone special to our lives. It can nevertheless feel intense and require a fair amount of intentional action.
Now, think about those folks who decide to start a new exercise routine at the same time they begin altering their diet. Wow, there’s another huge handful of changes. What if you add in getting more organized too? OI!
Is it any wonder that trying to change so many things at once might not have easy or ideal results?
The same could be said regarding taking on new responsibilities at work, beginning any major project, or establishing any new productivity routine.
Plan changes intentionally
What if, recognizing everything that goes into making any significant life change, we planned them intentionally and phased them in sprints. Granted sometimes you just get a whole bunch at once and have to do your best, like when you move or get a new job. However, it seems like too often we unintentionally overload ourselves by committing to a bunch of big things at once. If we have the choice, then let’s set ourselves up for success by creating intentional cycles of change… or you could even say… seasons of change.
What if for the next three months, i.e. for a season, you focused on integrating ONE major change into your life? Moving it from a conscious incompetence to a natural action… Are you familiar with that path of development?
1. Unconscious Incompetence ->
2. Conscious Incompetence ->
3. Conscious Competence ->
4. Unconscious Competence (Natural Action)
Here’s an example:
- When you were a baby, you didn’t know that you couldn’t drive a car and didn’t care. (Unconscious Incompetence)
- When you were 14 years old you knew you couldn’t drive a car and probably were frustrated by that feeling of incompetence. (Conscious Incompetence)
- When you became 16 years old and finally could learn to drive a car, you worked to develop the skills, but you still had to focus hard to make sure you did everything properly. (Conscious Competence)
- Now that you’ve been driving for many years, you could probably get in your car and drive to work or another frequent destination and barely remember how you got there! (Unconscious Competence/Natural Action)
It takes time for any new behavior or habit to become a natural action. That’s why the whole theory of 21 days to build a habit (in my opinion) in misguided. In 21 days, you might be able to move from 2 to 3, but you won’t get all the way to natural action in just 21 days.
So, give yourself appropriate time! Choose one new behavior this season, and focus on integrating all the little habits that support it. Once it’s become a natural action… feels like it flows easily and naturally as part of your day/week/life… then choose another one.
Life Sprints
Approaching life changes this way will allow you to focus on the sprint at hand, make the necessary adjustments, and reduce both the feelings of overwhelm and the stops and starts of trying to accomplish too much at once and falling off the wagon constantly while juggling them all.
Focused, incremental changes will get you EVERYWHERE! What’s your life sprint for this season going to be? Share it in the comments below and add your voice to the conversation.
