Change Is Hard (At First)

When I first started my journey toward a healthier, happier life, I thought motivation would be the hardest part since I am the worlds worst excuse maker.

It wasn’t.

The hardest part was realizing how many little things actually needed to change for me to live the life I wanted.

At first, I approached change the way many people do. I made long lists, set ambitious goals, and convinced myself that if I just tried hard enough, I could transform everything all at once.

Instead, I became overwhelmed.

I remember sitting in my kitchen one afternoon, staring at a list of things I “should” be doing differently, feeling completely defeated. Eat better. Sleep more. Exercise consistently. Reduce stress. Drink more water. Meditate. Organize the house. Fix my schedule.

Even positive change can become exhausting when you try to tackle everything at once.

Eventually, I had to return to an old saying:

“How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.”

So I decided to start small.

Each change I considered, I evaluated using the business concept of “return on investment.”

In other words, I weighed the amount of effort a change would require against the amount of good it would bring into my life.

I realized not every healthy habit deserved the same amount of energy. Some changes took a lot of effort without making much difference, while others quietly improved my life in meaningful ways.

Some habits were easy to implement but only created a small shift. That meant I needed to stack many tiny changes together before I really noticed an impact.

For example, I started scraping my tongue before brushing my teeth, applying oil before showering instead of lotion afterward, and finding healthier substitutes for my afternoon caffeine fix.

Other changes were harder, but they created much bigger transformations. Alongside the smaller habits, I also worked on changing my bedtime, reducing time spent with people who drained my energy, and choosing more unprocessed foods.

What surprised me most was that change creates its own momentum.

The first few steps felt painfully difficult, but eventually the act of caring for myself began to feel more natural and less forced. Small victories gave me energy for bigger ones.

And even during the times when I completely lost focus, I could still see that I was farther ahead than where I started. I was healthier, happier, and more at peace with who I truly am.

I am still chewing on that elephant, but I am no longer intimidated by change.

Maybe that is the real secret. Change never completely stops being work, but eventually it stops feeling impossible.

Now, whenever I catch myself thinking, “Change is hard,” I add two more words: “At first.”

Until next time, my friends —

Sandy