Change Is Good!

By Alina Larson

Who doesn't want to change something about themselves? Exercise, read more, spend less...the list goes on. Which can be the problem.

You want to be a better you? Start small. Just do one thing differently. You'll be surprised at the huge impact it makes, maybe not tomorrow, but sooner than you think!

The first step is recognizing the need for change. We often go about our daily lives on autopilot, doing the same as always.

The next step is taking action. Some tips from Larry Terkel, author of Small Change:

1. Look at what you do every day, then start with just one little change.

2. Stick with it for a month.

3. Next month, make another small shift.

4. Trust the power of small change, but be realistic. Pennies in a jar don't turn into $1,000 overnight.

5. The same change might come up every six months. That's okay. Enjoy the journey!

These people did. They each made one small change—a tiny blip, really—and discovered that shifting things enriched their lives. Check out their stories: 

Get Moving
You won't believe how much I learned from a snaggletoothed dog.
By Shaina Feinberg

A few months back, my friends went on vacation. Their shaggy, pigeon-toed, snaggletoothed dog, Erma, came to stay with me. She happily followed me from room to room, but what she really loved was going for walks. She'd prance in the grass, sniff everything in sight, play with other dogs.

Erma wasn't the only one having a ball. I noticed that on our walks, I'd forget whatever I was worrying about—paying bills, returning phone calls. I'd smell the Thai spices from the restaurant on the corner. I'd feel the breeze. I'd overhear funny snippets of conversation.

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Then my friends returned. Without Erma, I went back to my old routine: home, subway, office and back again. There was only one way that I could have been outside less, and that's if I lived in a submarine.

So I made a rule: Every evening I must take a walk. That's it. I don't have to go quickly or burn a certain number of calories. I don't even have to wear sneakers. This isn't about exercising, it's about getting outside myself.

Most of the time I don't want to take that walk. I'll put it off. I'll send another email, remember something else I have to do around the house. But a rule is a rule. I'll tell myself, All you have to do is put on shoes and get moving. As soon as the fresh air hits me, I'm glad I did. I always come home feeling energized.

Now I can't imagine my life without my evening walks. Can you believe how much I learned from a shaggy, snaggletoothed dog?

Save Money
Going on a budget turned out to be one of the best and most romantic decisions we ever made.
By Tanya Richardson & Michael Wartella

My husband, Michael, wasn't the first one to suggest we stick to a budget. My financially responsible best friend urged me to be more careful with money, but I resisted. "That means doing without," I said. "What's the point of working long hours if you can't reward yourself?"

Problem was, Michael and I rewarded ourselves too often. And with drinks, dinners out, movies and vacations—nothing we could keep. We racked up enough credit-card debt that we had no choice but to go on a budget. There goes all the spontaneity and romance in our relationship, I thought.

I should have known that Michael would make getting out of debt a game. First, we figured out what we needed for the basics—rent, food, utilities, transportation.