# What’s the smallest change you made in your life that made the biggest difference? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345 "2023-12-30T17:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/21 "2023-12-31T15:04:43Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I took my daughter to a square dance class at a local engineering school. You just blew my mind. There are no small choices. I had a choice between two jobs. One would be a great adventure, but would not last long. The other gave an opportunity for growth in an area I wanted to live. I chose door number 2, and I’m still here loving what I do. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/22 "2023-12-31T15:07:43Z")
Or, like the flapping wing of a butterfly, there are lots of small choices, but some of them turn out to have an oversized impact. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/23 "2023-12-31T16:02:34Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Telling myself, “That will keep until morning” when ruminating in the middle of the night. My exwife extended this a little bit. She had a little notebook and pen on her bedside table and she’d make a quick note (now I imagine that she uses her smartphone). Jotting a down a short note assured her that she wouldn’t forget whatever it and she wouldn’t fret about it anymore ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/24 "2023-12-31T16:10:52Z")
I quit watching commercial television (other than news). Ads drove me crazy and still do (I mute them during the news). If there is a series that is getting raves, I’ll wait five years for it to show up on streaming rather than watch it on a network channel. It’s my small way of fighting back. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/25 "2023-12-31T16:12:27Z")
After years of high cholesterol that never went down regardless of my diet or exercise, I got on a very low dose of Rosuvastatin. My cholesterol hasn’t been this low…ever. One little pill every night feels like it’s been a game-changer for me. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/26 "2023-12-31T17:25:57Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > It resulted in a **substantial** improvement in my outlook and mood. I don’t need that garbage piped into my life, and it’s absurdly easy to shut it off. Hear, hear. I’ve been off Facebook for a few years and finally cut the cord on Reddit a few months ago. Once you’re outside of it you realize it for the blatant manipulation it is (yes, I sometimes use that word.) Sometimes it’s just as simple as cutting out the things that aren’t helping you. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/27 "2023-12-31T17:31:10Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > My cholesterol hasn’t been this low…ever. One little pill every night feels like it’s been a game-changer for me. In that vein… ADHD meds, specifically, stimulants. I felt my whole life that I wasn’t living up to my true potential. I knew what I wanted to do, I just wasn’t able to do it. Meds changed all that. They make me equally likely to do something productive as to procrastinate. They give me a fair shot at the life I want. The main difference I’ve seen is in the cleanliness of my house. I get up every morning and do the dishes and all the other chores like it’s nothing. This might seem trivial but I’ve struggled my whole life with stuff like that. And it makes a big difference in how I feel to be in an orderly environment. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/28 "2023-12-31T19:36:48Z")
A big result for me at work came from a small change, which was not only writing a list at the beginning of the day of what I wanted to get done, but also making sure to emphasize/highlight the things I had been avoiding for whatever reason (conflict, anxiety, whatever), and then forcing myself to do them. That actually proved wildly effective, and actually reduced my anxiety. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/29 "2023-12-31T19:56:36Z")
I read about this technique, it’s been called “The Scary Hour.” Spend an hour a day on the thing most freaking you out. It really does make a difference. One thing I started doing since I have a hard time prioritizing is just processing my emails in date order, oldest to newest, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time dithering over what’s most important. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/30 "2024-01-01T17:12:09Z")
More advice for the underhectored. > **[100 tiny changes to transform your life: from the one-minute rule to pyjama yoga](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/01/100-tiny-changes-to-transform-your-life-from-the-one-minute-rule-to-pyjama-yoga)** > > Want more health and happiness in the year ahead – without having to work too hard? Here are tried and tested tweaks that can lead to big improvements ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/31 "2024-01-01T22:33:22Z")
I’ve tried to implement Ted Lasso “goldfish” thinking as part of my normal constant daydream mind chatter. It’s basically avoiding ruminating or second guessing negative events or mistakes, and forcing active thought on the now and the future. I never realized how much of my brain cycles were wasted on the stress of constant worrying about the past, ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/32 "2024-01-01T22:39:54Z")
One other small change I did that made a big difference was constantly talking about “old me” vs “new me.” For instance, if I’m trying to break a bad habit, I will remind myself each time, “Old Velocity used to do that. But New Velocity doesn’t do it anymore.” ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/33 "2024-01-01T23:53:43Z")
Sometimes I have thought of that as “old Maserschmidt is a complete asshole and is trying to get one over on me, fuck you old Maserschmidt,” and that has worked. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/34 "2024-01-02T00:24:58Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I say, okay, I’m not going to engage with that thought right now. What else can I think about instead? I’ve been working on this as well. I also like the concept of the Scary Hour! I’ll get to try that out as I return to work this week. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/35 "2024-01-02T01:18:29Z")
From the article, I highly recommend this: _ **Brushing my teeth standing on one foot.** _ I alternate the foot each night. This was a small, zany habit I cultivated to help strengthen my ankles, but my knees, hips and balance have also improved. You can also do this anywhere you have to stand waiting for something, like checkout lines ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/36 "2024-01-02T01:27:52Z")
If you can stand on one foot for ninety seconds you are doing better than most. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/37 "2024-01-02T01:30:03Z")
I quit debating politics on social media. After watching a segment on the news about how people are becoming addicted to anger, I realized they were talking about me. So I stopped. Thankfully not that hard to do. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/38 "2024-01-02T17:40:08Z")
This is a terrific thread — thank you, all of you. For me, it was 20 years ago, when I started to use earplugs when I sleep. The writer Nicholson Baker recommended this (in a book), and I’m so glad I took his advice. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/39 "2024-01-02T17:40:56Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > _ **Brushing my teeth standing on one foot.** _ I alternate the foot each night. This was a small, zany habit I cultivated to help strengthen my ankles, but my knees, hips and balance have also improved. I tried this starting last night. It’s harder than you’d think, especially for concentrating on tooth brushing. I’m kind of a disaster at keeping toothpaste in my mouth, and this didn’t help. But I made it to nearly one minute for one of my feet. It definitely strains the ankles, but I imagine it gets easier and less painful. I do intend to continue. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345/40 "2024-01-02T21:15:48Z")
It’s odd, but you know, I don’t think I have ever made a resolution to “change” anything? I’ve muddled along and had good times and not so good. In a fairly good place these days. There is a saying that once you are about 30, you are where you will be for life…? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-smallest-change-you-made-in-your-life-that-made-the-biggest-difference/995345.md?page=3)