[MAKING SMALL CHANGES THAT BRING BIG RESULTS: OUR HABITS! PART 1:]

For many years it was my practice to get up early in the morning, perform my sacred rituals, meditations, and go on a fairly lengthy morning walk, before anything else. After my mother unexpectedly passed away last year, I developed a chronic habit of staying up very late – partially due to insomnia – and the rest due to some kind of mysterious subconscious resistance to getting myself to bed at a decent hour! But, of course, this greatly affected my day because instead of getting up at dawn, my sleepy body needed more sleep, and I was sleeping later and later. It was a completely unsustainable lifestyle for a busy self-motivated person like me.

The worst part was I was beating myself up about it every day. Every. Day. So, not only was I sleep-deprived and feeling unproductive, but I was caught in a self-flagellation cycle that tormented me in all ways possible. It took a while to see what I was doing to myself and how deeply it affected me.

Well, I finally DECIDED to change my habits and routine. I picked a day to begin. I made sure I supported myself ahead of time so that I would be successful. I finished everything earlier than usual in the evening, limited the amount of late-night shenanigans, set my alarm, and got into bed early. The following day, I woke up earlier than my alarm and settled into my new routine. Instead of hitting the trail in the late afternoon, I had already finished a 5.5-mile walk by 9:30am and had the whole day ahead of me.

The first day of my new-and-improved schedule was beyond incredible. I could not believe how much extra time I felt like I had! I got so much work done, and I also had plenty of time for meals, rest, and yoga… Oh wow! I had thoroughly forgotten how well this approach serves me! My gratitude list at the end of the day actually surprised the hell out of me. My day had been literally full of magic and miracles.  It has been weeks now and I cannot begin to describe how much this shift has changed my life.  Again.

Is there a habit, practice, or discipline you wish you had but don’t right now? This post is part one of a series I will be posting about making small changes in our lives that can have a BIG impact.

The first step is to DECIDE to commit:

As I discuss in my book, WildWood Magic: A Guide to Walking as a Sacred Path [page 42]… “The first and most crucial step is the decision to make a commitment. When you decide to commit to yourself, instead of thinking it over, consternating, sitting on the fence, mulling it over, etc., the Universe responds immediately, and things begin to shift. Just. Like. Magic. The Universe literally wants you to succeed and helps you create your ideal reality. A commitment produces creative energy and gives it a direction in which to go…”

To be continued…

xoxCollin