Customer Reviews

Small Change: It's the Little Things in Life That Make a Big Difference!

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In a market flooded with books telling us how to improve our lives, this one is a gem. The Terkel's non-judgmental, conversational tone makes it fun to read, and while some of their suggestions may not be anything new, the simplicity and manageability of their ideas will inspire you to take action. Secular and down to earch in its point of view but with heart-felt feeling for the human spirit, this optimistic, practical book invites the reader to create the life s/he wants, one small step at a time.
By the way, this attractive little book (great size and cover color, feels great in the hand) makes an excellent gift. I've given away several, to all ages (including, many pre-teens and teens who have then passed it around among their friends) and continue to receive enthusiastic thanks.

I've read a lot of books that are supposed to make you realize the way you treat yourself and your life and then make positive changes. The problem with those books are that they are so authoritative. Eat this, don't do that. Blah, blah, blah. This book was different for me because it wasn't radical in it philosophies of change (obviously - it's called SMALL change right?). I found myself using some of the concepts exactly or even being able to adapt each concept to my lifestyle which made a BIG difference because I would find myself inventing my own small changes in my daily routines that benefit ME. This book is just a starting point for the reader to be able to customize a 1% angle change (or changes) in their own life that can add up to a great distance by the time they take that 1% angle out over 80 years! One more big plus in my opinion = Larry provides this information without being hypercritical. He knows that "if we are all here on earth - we are all working on something!"

I managed to get my cholesterol down and strengthen my back by making very small changes to my daily habits. Nothing happened overnight but six months later and I have full strength and no back problems anymore. This book taught me to make a change and stick with it until it became a routine rather than an effort. Rome was not built in a day and even the most basic things such as a breath can be overlooked by the stresses of everyday life.

I'm down eleven pounds, eating healthier and I might even be a bit more outgoing. This little book is full of practical tips to improve your life painlessly. I found numerous ideas that have helped me address issues that had previously seemed too big to confront. Larry and Susan present their ideas like good friends who want to take you under their wing and help you do what you know you should but never had the ambition to attempt. Their bite-size approach to change makes it far more palatable. Make a small change in your life right now and buy the book. It'll help you out far more than that fast food lunch you would have bought with the money.

It's somehow appropriate that I make this review on New Years Day, the day when everyone talks about making changes in their lives... Small Change: Little Things Make A Big Difference by Susan & Larry Terkel. The Terkels make the contention that implementing huge changes all at once are bound to fail due to the overwhelming resistance we'll face. Instead, making a series of small changes are much easier and will add up over time. Trying to walk 150 miles is overwhelming. Walking one bus stop further each day will add up to those same 150 miles over a year. While not appropriate for *every* situation you'll face, the Terkels make a very good point...

Contents:
Introduction: A Better Way to a Better You
Chapter 1: How to Apply Small Change to Your Life
Chapter 2: Small Changes for Better Health
Chapter 3: Small Changes for Better Relationships
Chapter 4: Small Changes for a Healthier, More Creative Mind
Chapter 5: Small Change at Work
Chapter 6: Small Change for More Happiness
Conclusion: A Little Pep Talk

Applying small changes to your life follows five rules according to the book: 1) Look Closely at What You Do Every Day; 2) Make Only One Change at a Time; 3) Make Small Change a Constant in Your Life; 4) Trust the Power of Small Change, and Remember, It Will Add Up; and 5) Enjoy Making Small Changes. All this makes a lot of sense, and it's close to being a "duh!" concept except for the fact that most of us never follow it. We try to make lots of sweeping changes at once, and few stick. If instead you make one small change at a time, you can focus completely on that change, incorporate it into your life, and let the rewards start accumulating. For instance, on the exercise side you might commit to taking the stairs once a day. It's tempting to say you'll NEVER take the elevator again, but that will fail. If you can commit to taking the stairs the first time in the morning, then you will have climbed an untold number of stairs by the end of the year and burned far more calories than you would have otherwise. It's the same concept with fidgeting... tap your toes, pace, or do some other little movement during regular events. It's been shown that small stuff like that can burn 300 to 500 more calories a day. Think of what THAT would do for you over a year.

I personally was impacted by the section on making small changes in your conversation. I need to focus on that, by looking at certain habits like being the Prosecutor, the Fact Checker, or the I Top You conversationalist. They have 14 different traits listed in this section, and most everyone is guilty of at least one or more. My goal will not to be to change all of them at once, as that goes against the rule of changing just one thing at a time. But once I have one addressed to a significant degree, I can move on to the next. And perhaps in six to twelve months, I will have one area of my life better managed. :)

Small Change definitely goes against the conventional method of making sweeping changes all at once (and failing). But there's a much better chance you'll take something away from this book that will make a difference in your life if you're patient enough to trust that the small change *will* add up over time...

and isn't that what we all want? With warmth and humor, this book allows us to see ourselves as we really are....human!....and presents us with simple, yet effective actions we can take to live our lives more fully with intention and awareness. There's something for every age or persuasion.

"Small Change" will give even the most sceptical, hopelessly caught-in-quicksand soul a light to aim for at the end of the tunnel. The common sense suggestions to help us change our lives for the better are within the immediate reach of anyone --- if only they take a small step to move in that direction. Susan and Larry have touched on most of lifes issues and have given simple suggestions to make our lives happier. This book is a perfect holiday gift.

This is a must read for everyone! Easy to do and life changing. I got several for gifts.

...and SMALL CHANGE really help me!! I can make small changes and even if I don't see immediate results I FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF and that I am being proactive and making changes that I"ve put off for so long. Thank you Susan and Larry, for helping me take the first steps.

My father-in-law loved it so much that he wanted to give a copy of everyone in the family! I ordered many copies for distribution.

We all need to step back and apply some of the concepts every day.

I never sang in my life and inspired by this book I started singing which surpisingly people love.