Small Steps Make Big Changes | Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield explains how small daily actions compound into big results. Do five goal-directed actions each day, link new habits to existing routines like push-ups after bathroom breaks, and track your progress. Writing one page daily becomes 365 pages a year; reading 20 minutes daily adds up to roughly 25 books.
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Hi, I'm Jack Canfield and today I want to talk to you about how small steps can lead to huge results in your life and the lives of others. There's a well known Chinese proverb that says a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Yet far too many people never even get started on that journey. They're afraid to take that first step. Why? Well, maybe it's because the journey seems too overwhelming, the goal is too far away, or there's too much that needs to be done and the exact path isn't clear. Or maybe it's because they get caught up in wanting immediate results in other areas of their life and are distracted from their long term goals. But the thing about long term goals is that they aren't accomplished in a single day. It's not like they require one huge, monumental effort to be achieved. The only way you're going to achieve something really big and ambitious, the kind of goal that will literally transform your life forever, is by consistently taking one small step at a time in the direction of your dreams. So today I'd like to share three powerful strategies to help get you started. Now remember to click the subscribe button and the Bell icon to receive notifications for when I release new videos. Now the first strategy you can use to ensure that you are taking small, consistent steps toward your goal is called the Rule of Five. Now the Rule of Five dictates that every day you should do five specific things that will move you closer to achieving your goal. It doesn't matter how small these things are, as long as they are action steps that will move you closer to your goal. They are moving you in the right direction. For example, if you are running a business, do five things each day that will grow or otherwise improve your business in some way. For example, create a new ad to run on Facebook, call a potential new client, create a standard operating procedure manual to share with your employees, post something on social media, and so on. If you're wanting to get a promotion at work, do five things each day that will make your promotion more likely. For example, devote an hour of your time to learning a new skill every day. Sign up for some free training, write a list of points you'd like to make at the next company meeting, or take a colleague out for lunch and ask them for tips on how to improve your performance. Whatever your goal may be, taking five steps toward reaching it each and every day will eventually yield to major progress, and often in much less time than you'd expect. Now that's because of the compound effect of all these small steps Taking individually, each small step you take may not seem all that significant. But when you add them all up over time, they add up and lead to extraordinary results. For example, writing a book may seem like a monumental task. However, what if you committed to writing just one page a day? By the end of the year you'd have written a book that's 365 pages long. So by committing to making small progress each day, you will have turned what otherwise may seem like an insurmountable challenge into something you can accomplish in a year's time. Or let's say you want to start reading more. Simply commit to reading two pages a day and by the end of the year you'll have read over 700 pages. Now that's two or three books you otherwise wouldn't have read or learned from. Or you could commit to reading 20 minutes a day. You can always find 20 minutes a day. Now if you read for 20 minutes a day by the end of the year, that adds up to 7,300 minutes or 120 hours or three 40 hour work weeks. That would add up to about 25 books read every year. Or let's say you want to cut back on calories. If you simply cut out one Coke or one soda a day, by by the end of the year you'll have consumed 43,000 fewer calories. That's the equivalent of about 20 days of complete fasting. Now this compound effect highlights just how beneficial small steps and small changes can be when they add up over time. So whatever your goals are, if you commit to small daily progress, chances are you'll be astounded by the results. If you'd like to learn the keys to taking action and staying focused on your goals and click the button on the screen to watch my the Success Formula Webcast. Now my second tip for you is to look for simple ways you can link positive new behaviors and habits to the things you are already doing. For example, if you want to start working out more, do five push ups after every time you go to the restroom. Going to the restroom is something you can't avoid or brush off, and most people do it about six or seven times a day. This means that you do five push ups each time you come out of the restroom. You you'll be doing about 30 or 35 push ups every day. Or you could link three minutes of stretching or deep breathing or meditation or drinking 8 ounces of water each time you go to the restroom. Or instead of taking the bus to work Maybe you could ride a bike or walk or at least get off the bus a couple of stops early. All of that extra walking or cycling will add up over time, and since you're going to work anyway, you may as well use that opportunity to fit in some exercise as well. One of my habits is I always avoid the elevator and walk up one flight of stairs or down two flights of stairs. Now, one of the hardest parts of taking positive steps toward your goals is getting into the habit of taking those small steps each and every day and making them a non negotiable part of your schedule. Small steps can often be easy to brush off or postpone since you may feel like they're insignificant. But each tiny step you take is bringing you closer to your goals, while each step you don't take keeps you exactly where you are now. Finally, my last tip for you is to keep track of your activities and review your progress regularly. When your journey involves taking a series of tiny steps over time, it might be easy to overlook the fact of what you've actually accomplished. But when you take time each week to review everything you've achieved, you'll be amazed at how far you've come and and you'll be even more motivated to continue your journey. Now I'd like to hear your thoughts after watching this video. What is one big goal that you have that you need to start taking small action steps on every day? And if you feel inspired, please leave a comment below with your answer. I'd love to read what you have to say and thank you for watching. And remember, nothing in your life will change for the better until you do. Now, if you found this video helpful, make sure you like it, share it with a friend who may need it, and subscribe to my channel for more videos like this one. And for some additional resources on how tiny steps can make big changes, make sure to visit my website@jackhamfield.com that's one tiny step you can take today. So thanks again for watching.
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