Ch ch changes....

Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book called The Tipping Point. It is about how things change from one state to another. Life, business, health, anything really.... "that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate.." 
In our personal lives, it's that small change that tips you over from making excuses to taking action! How do we do it?

One example in the book comes from a study of tetanus education at a university. They were interested in learning if creating fear about tetanus would encourage more students to get vaccinated against it. The fear education program didn’t seem to make any difference in students getting vaccinated, BUT when they made one surprising change, it did!  Adding a map of the university campus showing the health center and the times vaccinations were available increased the vaccination rate from 3% to 28%! That is huge.
Takeaway from this.....

If you make a tiny change that makes it easy enough to take action , you’ll actually follow through.

So, how can we do it in our lives? 
Here are a few examples to get you thinking (I do these)...

Want to floss more? Buy a LOT of floss, put in discreet places, somewhere near where you watch TV, in your purse, briefcase, next to the computer. If you see it, you are more likely to do it.

Want to exercise first thing? Put your gear out the night before and put it on first thing. (Also set an intention before you sleep,mentally tell yourself tomorrow I will exercise:)

Want to drink more water? Fill a glass and keep on your kitchen counter, drink every time you see it, on your desk, in a water bottle. 

Stay on top of ideas? Buy a small notebook and pen, put elastic around to keep em together( so you always have a pen), and carry with you. I tend to be a "real" notebook person rather than a smartphone note person, but if that works for you, great!.....key is remembering to jot them down!

It is all about making things you want/have to do, easier to do and using visual reminders as cues when you can.  Are there any that you do?

All photos copyright Shelagh Duffett.The sculpture of the man and woman above can be found at the North End Library in Halifax