One Small Thing

Dear Reader,

On September 11th of last year, I renewed my meditation practice by starting to meditate for ten minutes every day. I picked a date that was significant for me, and I just started.

I didn’t worry about how well I did it, or when I did it, or where I did it. I just chose to do it, every single day. Sometimes, I set my timer for ten minutes, and meditated until I heard the chime. Other days, I started my stopwatch and meditated until I felt complete. So sometimes I meditated for twelve minutes, or twenty. I didn’t worry about it. I just sat.

I also didn’t meditate to gain something, or to get certain benefits – even though I am aware that meditation can offer many benefits.

I did it as a gift to myself.

Now, more than five months later, I have only missed one day (the day I flew to the UK) and I am meditating for fifteen minutes instead of ten. Sometimes I meditate twice per day.

But this post isn’t really about meditation, or how happy I am to be practicing again. This post is about the power of doing one small thing.

Yes, I have gained benefits you would expect from meditating; I feel more relaxed afterward, my focus is better, and my mind feels more clear. But I also have found profound benefit in having made the choice to do it every single day, no matter what. I have cultivated commitment, discipline, and a greater ability to follow through. All of those qualities are helping me in every area of my life, even though they are qualities that have often not come easily for me in the past.

One small thing.

Ten minutes of meditation.

That’s not very long.

What helped me the most, and what might help you too?

1. Do it purely as a gift to yourself, no strings attached.
2. Choose an action that feels right for you. For me, it was meditation, but for you, it might be something different. This is important, because if you choose an action because you feel like you should, you will struggle to commit to it. You won’t enjoy it. And more likely than not, you will quit.
3. Keep the action small, (i.e., ten minutes for meditation – or even one minute to start would be fantastic!) and don’t worrying about how you do it, or how well you do it.
4. Also, don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Acknowledge that you missed a day, and recommit to practicing every single day.

One of my favorite teachers, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, says that doing even one daily practice creates a sense of rhythm in your life, that keeps you moving forward. I love that. Flow is so important to establish and maintain in life, for motivation, for health – and for joy.

So, dear reader, is there space in your life to add one small thing?

Whether you are humming along through the year, maybe doing multiple practices daily, or you are struggling to keep your head above water, is there one small thing you can start doing now, today, that you know deep down you will be grateful for in the long run?

What is your one small thing? It doesn’t have to be meditation. It doesn’t even need to be something typically considered a spiritual practice. It could be going for a walk, or tending to a plant, or singing in the shower. But you do need to consciously choose it, commit to it, and stick with it.

One small thing.

It can change your life.

I honor your loving heart,

John