Every year, millions of people in the U.S. promise themselves that they'll make a change to better their lives. The goals include improving their relationships, reducing stress, saving money, landing a better job, and getting healthier. Often the changes are attempted while dealing with an already overloaded schedule. Many people do succeed. However, the majority give up trying. According to author Pat LaDouceur, Ph.D., the secret to success with change is not about thinking big but rather to think small. In her newly released book, Small Change, Big Results, the psychotherapist shows how breaking your ultimate goal into small doable steps can get you to the finish line. The powerful strategies offered in Small Change, Big Results were gleaned from what worked for thousands of LaDouceur's therapy clients over more than a quarter century. In her sessions, she directs clients to check their progress each week on stated goals, and she also takes notes on what's been helpful. In the book, there's advice for tackling change in personal relationships, at the workplace, and with habits. LaDouceur designed her techniques to work in many areas of life. LaDouceur backs up her practical advice with scientific studies. Two topics the science looks at in eye-opening ways are habits and willpower. For instance, the reader learns how much we rely on habits on a daily basis for routine actions. You also see how the pull of our old, habitual behaviors can make it hard to do things differently. LaDouceur warns that willpower isn't as reliable as we thought, and it gets depleted as the day goes on. Solutions are offered to deal with both areas. The success stories presented show how dramatic changes can ultimately become, though based on small changes. (These stories are based on real clients, with identifiable characteristic changed, and some are composites.) For instance, originally Corey - a software developer - constantly worried about job security since his field has high turnover. The solitary nature of his job was also potentially changing, as upward movement meant management and more interaction. Corey started with the small step of noting how many interactions he had with other people each day. From there, he set a target number of daily interactions. Then, over time, he expanded the duration and quality of his participation with people at the job and off. After a year, he not only kept his job, but also got a promotion. Small Change, Big Results offers the hopeful message that change is within reach. "Life can be rough," the author acknowledges. "But for most people, there are simple shifts you can make to create more ease and more joy. Even if you believe you've tried everything to achieve a change you want, there's likely another angle, another perspective. And once you have that angle or perspective, the real change is likely easier than you think."
