Unlike a Tree or Sea change, a Slow Change doesn’t require you to pack up and move house. Instead, you make small, slow changes that shift how you engage with the world around you. Each change moves you towards a simpler, more meaningful life, without any of the hassle of a moving van!
A Slow Change is all about:
- doing less of what doesn’t add value to your life
- doing more of what brings meaning and joy
- clearing mental and physical clutter
- finding your village
- building connections with people
- allowing space for stillness
- making more considered choices
- reducing meaningless consumption
- nourishing your body and mind
- eating thoughtfully
- being happy!
There’s no single change that makes all the difference. You may not feel like a new person in one week. Life may not feel dramatically different in a month, or even a year. But a lifetime of habits and thought patterns can only be changed slowly and gently, allowing time to soak and absorb each little change into your being. It may be a slow process, but it’s satisfying on a daily basis, and and all the little changes add up to something greater that you’d expect. One day you’ll look back and remember how you used to feel; how you used to live; and you’ll realise how important each small change was.
My family and I have made plenty of changes over the last 5 – 10 years. Some of those changes had a huge impact; others not so much. Some seemed to make a difference at the time, but in the end they didn’t suit us. Every change helped us learn something about our values and priorities and moved us closer to living a more meaningful life. We haven’t achieved any kind of slow life nirvana, but we’re happier and our life is certainly slower than it used to be. There are still so many things I’d like to do, but every day we inch a little closer. One small change at a time.
A little while ago I ran a challenge to make One Small Change a weekly to help you live a slower, simpler, more meaningful life. You can check out the One Small Change Challenge here.