Big Little Practice #7: 7 “Big Little Practices” That Will Transform Your Health
We’ve come to the end of my 7-part series on how “the little things are the big things” when it comes to your health and wellbeing.
Today I’m sharing with you Big Little Practice #7.
If you’ve missed any of the others, check them out!
Okay, here we go…
Last, but not least, here is Big Little Practice #7!
Big Little Practice #7: Practice Deepening Your Relationships
At the beginning of every year, I create a theme for my year and I ask my clients to do the same.
This could be one word or a short phrase that’s going to drive their actions – something they want to focus on that gives them a general direction for their year.
A few years ago, the theme I created for myself was “1 inch wide, 1 mile deep.”
I’ve always been driven by Excellence and Mastery.
In fact, one of my Top 5 Strengths according to Clifton’s StrengthsFinder is Maximizer.
Basically, I like to take something that’s already good and make it great.
So you can see why I’m driven by words like Excellence and Mastery.
By the way, both have been a theme for my year in the past.
Back to the “1 inch wide, 1 mile deep” theme I had a few years ago – this was all about focusing on a few things and getting really good at them.
The opposite would be focusing on a lot of things and not being great at any, which, of course, would be “1 inch deep, 1 mile wide.”
Let’s think about how our relationships relate to this.
Perhaps you’re one who has a lot of acquaintances, but little to no deep and meaningful relationships, and you’re happy with that.
If that’s how you roll, that’s completely fine, and this Big Little Practice might not resonate with you.
This would be more of a “1 inch deep, 1 mile wide” way of having relationships, and again, that’s totally fine.
On the other hand, if you have or want to have a handful of close relationships – more of a “1 inch wide, 1 mile deep” approach, then this Big Little Practice is for you.
Maybe it’s because I’m an only child or I always only had a few close friends at a time through school and beyond, that I too take a “1 inch wide, 1 mile deep” approach to my relationships.
Personally, I’d rather have a few deep and meaningful relationships with friends than having a bunch of friends that I hardly see or talk to.
This works for me, and if it works for you too, your call-to-action this week is to begin to build on the relationships you already have.
Do you see a trend here with all of my Big Little Practices?
It’s all about building on what’s already going right, instead of trying to fix what’s wrong.
Maybe you have some good friends that you don’t see or talk to as often as you’d like.
Consider reaching out to them and making a commitment to getting together every month, every two weeks, or every week – whatever works for you!
And they don’t have to be girlfriends either.
I talk to my parents on the phone almost every day.
Some days it’s just for a few minutes; other days it’s for almost an hour.
I’ve been doing this for years and I know I won’t regret the time I spent deepening my relationship with them.
It can be another couple too.
My partner and I have a couple that we met several years ago.
They live near San Diego, California, and before we moved to Vancouver, we made a commitment to “FaceTiming” once a month.
I’m happy to report that we’ve kept that commitment and once a month we call each other on FaceTime and talk for at least an hour, usually two, as there’s often a lot of catching up to do!
So whether it’s a girlfriend, a grandkid, a niece or nephew, another couple, a parent, or anyone else that you want to deepen your relationship with, this is the time to do it.
I believe building strong relationships is similar to building strong health in that it’s all about making small investments that accrue over time and lead to a happier (and healthier) life.
In fact, we are learning more and more about how important social support and community are on our health and well-being.
That’s why deepening your current relationships is a way to transform your health.
With that, I’d like to close this series by knowing that if you’ve taken at least one thing away from my 7-part “Big Little Practices” series, then I did my job.
I want to thank you for reading each week, and I hope you found it helpful.
But even more important, I hope you followed through on my “calls-to-action.”
If not, why not start today?
Take one of my “Big Little Practices” and do something about it today.
A habit starts with one small action at a time.
Remember, the little things become the big things.
Thanks again for joining me on this big little journey!
It’s your turn to take care of you,
It’s Your Turn to Take Care of You!
Book a time to tell me where you are and where you want to be.
Here’s how I’ve helped other women like yourself.
