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I Changed My Life Without Making Huge Resolutions. It Started With a Few Small Steps

From hummus and chia seeds to running and stronger friendships, sometimes the smallest decisions lead to the biggest changes, says Emma Wyatt.

10 years ago I didn’t think I liked hummus. Then I gave it another go and, suddenly, hummus and rice cakes became a staple in my fridge and cupboard respectively. Next step; I started to make my own. 8 years ago, soya milk was a thing I only tried when going to a vegan café because of vegan friends, now almond and coconut milk are what I use for smoothies and my overnight oats and I only use “regular” milk in my coffee. Even overnight oats was something other people did and chia seeds were for health nuts. Now it’s my breakfast most morning with, among other things, chia seeds in there.

Small Changes That Transformed My Everyday Routine

None of these are big things, each of them was a small step towards trying to be a bit healthier, trying to make my life a bit better. Not just food and health either. I started organising a regular brunch “date” with friends to finally go to some of the many cafes I kept seeing around Bratislava but never went to. That led to regular dinners out with one friend, again, trying a new place every time.

It’s About More Than Just Health

All of these things are about my own personal growth and continuous improvement not only of myself but my life in general. Each thing is making it a little brighter, a little happier, a little more fun. Some of these things are long-term habits I’ve built up, some are more about my general attitude to life and prioritising what I want to do and achieve. I don’t mean the big achievements like academic qualifications or buying my own home (although those are important too). I mean the day-to-day things which we often take for granted.

Growth Isn’t Found Only in Big Goals

Some of these things were natural extensions of habits I’d already built up (like adding some extra vegetables to dishes I already make). Others took more conscious effort and deliberate practice (like restarting running during the pandemic, building up my route from 3.2km to 5km, which also required small steps and, even now, I need to remind myself to focus on progress over perfection as my route may be 5km, but that doesn’t mean I can run it all yet).

Progress Over Perfection

As mentioned earlier, none of these things are big, dramatic changes. My life isn’t perfect and I still have a long way to go in achieving what I want, and that’s okay. I know that I’m not done yet, there are more small steps I can take to keep improving my life; my psychological and emotional well-being.

When You Give Something New a Chance

So often, people focus on massive changes and, sure, those are sometimes necessary, but let’s not forget the small steps that lead to big results. I know how overwhelming it can be when trying to spread myself too thin with many new habits at the same time. Pick one, start there, then the next one, and the next one. What’s going to be your first tiny change to make your life a bit better than it was the day before?

Written by: Emma Wyatt

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