The three phases of a transition
A new job, a move, the end of a relationship: the outer change is quickly done, the inner arrival takes longer. The adviser William Bridges coined a helpful image for it, three phases almost every transition passes through.1. The endingEvery transition begins with a goodbye, even a chosen one. Something…
Small experiments instead of the big leap
Big life decisions often fail on the demand to be sure beforehand. Certainty about a path rarely arises from thinking, it arises from experience. That is why the small experiment beats the big leap.Why pure rumination doesn’t helpIn your head the same arguments go round in circles because the real…
Sleeping better when the mind won’t switch off
You’re tired, lying in bed, and the mind ramps up. Appointments, worries, to-dos. Sleep can’t be forced, but you can create good conditions under which it comes by itself. It’s less about willpower than about routine and unburdening the mind.Why the mind gets loud at nightBy day we’re distracted. In…
Why tiny habits win
“From Monday, an hour of sport every day”, and after ten days it’s over. That’s rarely down to a lack of discipline. Big resolutions need a lot of energy and motivation, and both fluctuate. A tiny habit survives bad days too.Small enough that you can’t dodge itA good mini-habit is…