It’s Never Too Late

It’s never too late to start something new. You can start a new goal, try a new hobby, or work on a skill. The trick is to keep moving. You don’t have to move quickly, just don’t stop. In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, he talks about the 1% better principle. Try to improve yourself by 1% each day. That doesn’t sound like much and might feel too small, but it can keep you moving.

If you’re anything like me, whenever you start something new—whether it’s a diet or picking up a sport like pickleball—you immediately feel the urge to make significant, sweeping changes. I throw away all the processed food and eat only fruits and vegetables. Or buy all the pickleball equipment, watch the videos, and try to learn the scoring in hopes of stepping out on the pickleball court and being a champion. At least, in my experience, this doesn’t work. I give up much quicker by trying to make big changes all at once.

What I have learned is that slower is better. Making small daily changes makes me more likely to get closer to my goals. Instead of attempting to commit to walking 3 miles every day on my new walking pad, what if I start by walking for 5 minutes and slowly increase the time? My body and mind get a chance to get used to the change slowly. My neural pathways get an opportunity to dig in and take root. My body gets movement without ending up exhausted.

What do you think? Will it work? What small commitment can you make to become who you want to be? I can’t wait to see the changes, but I will wait. It will be so much better that way.