We’re an instant sort of society anymore, aren’t we? We want it now. We want it big. We don’t want to wait!!!

Which would be totally cool … if it worked. Give it a sec, and think about your own experiences. Did instant work? Did that huge goal get achieved in warp-speed time? Or did it leave you frustrated, depressed and confused — and right back where you started or worse?

Most likely, it’s nearly always the latter vs. the former. That’s why I promote a step by step approach to being well. It achieves wellness — the sort of solid, foundational, joy-filled kind of health that is very much all yours — and you know it by then. Because you’ve created it yourself. You’ve empowered YOU. And you did it step by step, which made it feel easy and possible and, most importantly, kept you feeling successful, not defeated.

Here’s the skinny on how to do this, short, easy step by short, easy step:

Step 1

Identify what it is you want to work on. Do you want to simplify? Move more? Eat a little better? Make room for play? Connect?

Step 2

Spend a little time dreaming, visioning. What does this look like at its (reasonable) best? Got it? Great!

Step 3

Now, figure out what is the first, very, very achievable step you can think of that will lead you to that vision. Not the whole chunk, just a piece.

Step 4

Do you need anything to achieve this step? Do you need to figure out a walking path, get some new recipes, sign up for a new class, re-connect with someone?

Step 5

If you need anything (and you might not), create the step(s) that will get that part done.

Step 6

Put the step you figured out in Step 3 into your life.

Step 7

Add in reminders or ways that you will remember to do the step you outlined.

Step 8

Keep doing it! Soon enough, it will become a natural part of your life, and you won’t need reminders or steps. It will just exist, very easily.

See how easy this becomes? Each of these mini-steps feels easy. Each one should produce a feeling of: Oh, yeah, I can do that! And the next and the next until, voilá, you have created your own healthy, empowered life.