Making big changes seems overwhelming and too much for us to handle. Instead of shifting your focus all at once, it can be helpful to break down the overarching change into minor adjustments. By tweaking small aspects of your life here and there, you can ultimately see something grander take hold. If you want to make lasting change, you need to identify the problem, then decide on the best route for change. Finally, establish small milestones towards your larger goal.
Identify the Problem
Perhaps you are drinking too much or not paying enough attention to your work-life balance. Whatever the problem may be, first you have to identify it. It can take time to identify the source of your anxiety or depression. Sometimes, the problem is obvious. Other times, you will have to make a list of potential sources and accept that it may be a combination of various factors from different spheres of your life.
Decide on the Best Route to Change
You need to decide how to best address the problem. For a drinking problem, you may want to consider getting a support group or care team to help you quit. For overworking yourself, you may want to consider how to shift responsibility in your professional life to allow for more “me time.” Whatever you decide to change, the method you decide on for how to go about that must come from within.
Establish Small Milestones
Once you have made your plan for change, it is a good time to establish small milestones. This is where making minor adjustments comes into play. Maybe quitting cold turkey doesn’t make sense at this time, but you can cut back on the number of beers you have each day. In terms of the work-life balance example, quitting your job may not be the best decision, but asking for fewer tasks could be a fair compromise. Whatever minor adjustments or small milestones you set for yourself, make them manageable.
To make a big change in your life, it can help to start from the mindset of making minor adjustments. Once you identify the problem, you can then decide on the best route for change and establish small milestones. At Valiant Living, we want to help you make necessary changes in your life. We understand that it starts with smaller, more manageable tasks. At our men’s only treatment facility located in Denver, Colorado, we come up with a treatment plan that makes sense for you. Our expert staff provides both inpatient and outpatient services. We treat addiction and co-occurring mental illness. To learn more about our services, you can reach us at (303) 952-5035.
