Small Changes, Big Differences
It’s not about what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.
{Tony Robbins}
As a young girl growing up in small town Ireland in the 1970s, I was constantly unhappy when I was being pushed outside of my comfort zone.
That 7-year-old, with the benefit of hindsight, would have gone outside of her comfort zone and been consistent in her efforts. She might now not be afraid of the deep end of the pool; she’d speak with a ‘posh’ Irish accent; she might have auditioned for Riverdance; and be first to play a party piece on the piano. Our Mum is amazing; she wanted me and my siblings to try everything but she wasn’t a ‘pushy’ Mum. So, when I protested about swimming, elocution, Irish dancing or piano lessons, I was allowed to give them up. It wasn’t seen as a failure; it was just Mum wanting us to be happy.
I suppose in one way I was being consistent. If I didn’t like something, I wasn’t going to do it or try to get better at it.
I was — at that time, and to some extent now — a stickler for perfection; if, to my mind, I wasn’t ‘perfect’ at doing something I didn’t enjoy, I would give up.
My 52-year-old self now understands that life is teaching me to let go of the search for perfection and to aim instead for being consistent. By doing so, it is easier to deal with the fall out. Life is not about setting unattainable goals; that can only set you up for failure or disappointment. And we all know how bad that can make you feel.
Achieving anything in life is about being consistent.
Being consistent leads to new habits, which leads to rewards.
As I reflect on the various jobs that I have had in hospitality, management and in aviation, both commercial and private, the common thread is that I have delivered consistently high standards of service, driven from my desire to do the best that I can in sectors that I loved. This passion for providing good service has served me well as I have travelled much of the world, lived in several European cities and have had experiences my 7-year-old self could only have dreamed of.
So with effort and consistency comes reward.
In my jet-setting days, the rewards included meeting and falling in love with my husband, which means I now get to live in a beautiful quiet seaside town in West Wales.
The rewards of being consistent in my reincarnation as a nutritional therapist mean that I get to support and help my clients through a range of chronic health conditions, improving their lives and giving them the tools to live healthier and happier lives. I know that for many of them changing dietary and lifestyle habits is not easy. It is too easy to fall into a rut or to stay in our comfort zone; nobody relishes being outside their comfort zone.
But small changes, practiced consistently, make a huge difference.
Consistency might mean simply increasing water intake by one glass a day to improve hydration and support liver health; or perhaps it is reducing caffeine intake to two cups a day to improve sleep and support nervous system health; these become new healthy habits which become the norm through consistent application - and the rewards naturally follow; improved liver and nervous system health; better longevity; improved overall health.
