The incredible thing about small steps is their ability to result in big changes in our lives. And in a year that’s come with more challenges than many of us ever imagined, many of us are more than ready for change.

But here’s the thing: to see these positive changes, we need to take action! And while taking drastic steps toward changing our life might seem daunting, have you ever considered starting with small steps?

What is one tiny step you could take now that will ensure the rest of 2020 is your best yet? Not something big and daunting like upgrading your finances or redecorating your house or losing 20 pounds… something small and manageable.

Small steps that lead to big changes

Can you think of something? Let’s think together.

Update your contact list

You could update your contact list. As a child, I remember my mom would occasionally update her address book. She got tired of looking at all the cross-outs from change of addresses to deaths. She would get newspaper inserts and carefully rewrite all the necessary pages.

I was going through my contacts and realized that some updating is necessary. For example, what do you do with people who have died? It seems heartless to delete them. Each time I see their names, I think of them. OK so forget that. Contacts as memory lanes.

But there are definitely some areas that could be updated, like Real Foods market is gone so I no longer need that address. And Terry, my fabulous butcher, is butchering someplace else now… unknown to me, so I can delete that. And all my old contacts from Mercer Street Salon that is now closed can be deleted. Yes, there is a lot of work to do there. Update my address book.

Maybe just a letter a day.

Taking a look at your contact list might also be a good time to consider who the five biggest influencers are in your life. Click here for more on that.

Start to meditate

Even if you begin your practice with one minute of sitting in a chair and focusing on your breathing: four counts in, six counts out. One minute! Taking the small steps to begin this new practice will help pave the way for big changes.

Organize your linen closet

Make it so every time you open the door, you encounter organization. Wow, that will feel great!

Take care of all of your medical stuff

You know, the stuff that, if you’re like me, hangs over your head… the colonoscopy… the mammography… dental cleaning… all those fun things. It will be nice not to have to worry about them for a while! Get it done!

Pick one new healthy habit to focus on

Choose something manageable like eating an apple every day. Stop drinking orange juice and eat an orange instead. Take your coffee without sugar (you’re sweet enough as you are!). Walk more often—maybe at lunchtime take a brisk walk—15 minutes to 30 minutes just to break out of the routine of sitting at your desk and sitting and eating and sitting and driving… take a walk.

Or add the seven-minute exercise circuit to your morning routine… Hey! What’re seven minutes? And it works all your muscles!

Get to bed at a decent hour, so you can get 8 full hours of sleep

This doesn’t include getting to bed and reading your book or emails for an hour or more. This means lights out, go to sleep.

This gives your brain a chance to process everything that has happened during the day and clear out and file away what is necessary. This is a very important time and should not be cut short.

Figure out one big goal for self-improvement that you can focus on for the rest of 2020.

If you want the rest of 2020 to be your best year yet, what do you need to focus on? One small step that you can do now is to figure out what you need to do all year.

What is your big goal? By the end of 2020, what do you want to be different than it is today?

Make the call

Decide to reach out to someone you’ve been meaning to call, just haven’t taken the time yet. Maybe it’s a relative you haven’t kept in touch with. Or maybe it’s a friend who could use a check-in.

Call that person today. Or better yet, call that person now.

Make a donation to a cause you care about

Maybe buy some toys and wrap them up and mark them with appropriate ages.

You can donate them to the fire department in your area or a local church. There are plenty of people in need and your small steps could make a big impact. This small step will help you develop a mind-frame of generosity and thinking about how you can help others and this could totally transform your life this year.

Smile when you walk down the street

It’s such a small step, but the ramifications are major.

First of all, you will be smiling, so that will put you in a good mood. Secondly, others will see you smiling, and they will smile back so you have impacted another person and helped them create a positive feeling.

Small steps like this can really make a difference not just for you, but those around you, too.

Say thank you. Often.

Thank you to the guy who takes your money at Starbucks. Say thank you to the cashier at CVS. Thank you to the person who lets you in first. Be in gratitude. Appreciate the little things.

This small step helps set you up for success because your attitude of gratitude will radiate to others and you will help other people to feel appreciated. And they, in turn, will appreciate others and it will get passed along.

Get philanthropic

Realize that you have so much to offer others and volunteer your time. Maybe two hours a month. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Did you ever hear the saying, “the more you give, the more you get?” Give generously.

Those are just a few simple ideas of small things you can do now that will set you up for a successful 2020. You will develop the right mind frame for success! Time has a way of slipping by without you noticing and if you don’t take time to plan and think about what you really want to achieve for yourselves, your opportunities will pass you by.

As Stephen Covey said, “Begin with the end in mind.” So, ask yourself, what do you want to accomplish by the end of 2020? What do you need to do to accomplish that?

In the meantime, take some of the tiny steps listed about to prepare for 2021! It’s never too soon!

Take your first small steps today

Beautiful gardens like this don’t happen by chance. They take careful planning and execution. The same goes with your life.

A beautiful life doesn’t happen by chance.

It takes planning and execution. One of the most challenging dilemmas is that from the outside, you see how great it looks and you want it.

But once you study it, and learn how much work is really involved, you shy away from such a huge commitment.

Is that how you are with your life? Do you shy away from going for what you really want because it might be too much work or you’re not really sure how it will turn out?

This is your one precious life.

You’ve got to give it all you have!

Looking for other small steps you can take? Click here for 5 Action Steps to Jump-Start Your Productivity.

Did you enjoy this article on how small steps lead to big changes? Take a look at these other posts too:

How to Discover What Really Lights Your Fire
How to Easily Change Your World View
Fly the Plane Before It’s Ready

This article was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in 2020 just for you!