Every Little Bit Counts

It all adds up…really it does.

I think we underestimate the impact of our really small, consistent efforts. Think of brushing your teeth for example. It’s a small habit that takes only a few minutes and we do it a few times a day without much thought or effort (well at least this is my experience :) But what do you think would happen if you didn’t brush your teeth every day, let’s say you didn’t brush them for…five or ten years? Eek right? I mean I kind of imagine our teeth would be in a pretty bad state — maybe even brown, rotting, or falling out!

For me this is a really good example of how small consistent care can have a huge lasting impact.

When it comes to holistic living and life balance, one of the things we love to do is connect the dots between our health, our wealth and our relationships. One key way we do this is by using the same value, principle, life skill or habit and apply it to all three areas. This way we are not only instilling, practicing and reinforcing a positive action, we are also taking consistent steps toward life balance in the three major areas of our lives.

Let’s take this principle of “every little bit counts” and apply it to our health.

Let’s say you have a goal to walk or jog for 30 minutes every day, but you don’t think you have the fitness level to accomplish this just yet. Maybe you start with five minutes or even one minute! Seriously, one minute is still better than no minutes :) The next day, try for two minutes, and the next day three, and so on and so on. Trust me, before you know it, you will have gradually increased your endurance to reach your health goal.

When it comes to wealth, a great way to use the principle of “every little bit counts” is to save and invest 10–20% of your income every month. Over years, these compounded earnings and this little habit will serve you so well.

How can we use this principle in our relationships? Have you ever found that sometimes the people that you live with are so busy in their own lives and activities, it feels as though you are not living under the same roof? Yes I can relate to this! As a family, one thing we have found that makes a difference is to just share one meal together, at least once a week. This one meal will create a momentum that encourages us to be more mindful of each other and work on spending more time together.

The truth is, life can seem overwhelming at times- sometimes we don’t know if we’re coming or going, or where the time has gone. The trick is to just focus on the next step- don’t look down the road. Look right in front of you and ask, ‘What is the very next step?’ And after you complete that step, ask yourself the same question, and keep taking one step at a time. I promise you, your efforts will add up, and one day you will look back and marvel at how far you have come. Until next time, remember…every little bit counts!