The key to making a big change is to make a small change first . This has to do with inertia. If you want to get unstuck quickly and effortlessly, leverage the power of making small changes.

We often get stuck in the idea of having to make some huge change in our lives, and it seems overwhelming so we don’t do anything. We just wish, wait and hope. Or we may just be stuck in a very comfortable routine. The trick is to realize that the force of inertia (the tendency of bodies at rest to stay at rest) will keep you exactly where you are unless you do something. That something doesn’t even have to be related to what you want.

You’ve probably heard of taking a big goal and chunking it down into baby steps. This is a great idea, but sometimes we don’t even know where to begin, what baby step to take. What you may not realize is that any small change leads to more change. Just do something different.

1. Wear red socks instead of navy socks.
2. Take a different route to work.
3. Eat at a different restaurant.
4. Drink tea instead of coffee.

Any change will do. This works because it gets you unstuck and into the change mode. The momentum will get you going on a roll, and before you know it, you’ll be making bigger and bigger changes relatively effortlessly. This technique enables you to skip the hard part of mustering up enough motivation, willpower, or courage to tackle a big goal, project or change.

For more, read Talane’s Top Ten Tips for Getting Unstuck and Get Motivated.

I’ve included this absolutely beautiful and inspiring short video about the impact of adding wolves to Yellowstone National Park, demonstrating the powerful impact of small changes.

Last week I shared a post talking about prepping all of your food for the week in one afternoon (I also have a whole chapter dedicated to make-ahead meals in my popular ebook) I offered lots of tips, pictures, and gave a step by step on what my food prep day looks like. I received lots of positive feedback on this post. However, within those comments were statements like this:

That looks amazing, I wish I could do that!
Wow, you are so organized, can you come to my house and do that for me?
I would love to food prep but don’t know where to start…
I tried to prep my food and got so overwhelmed I quit!

These comments, and others like them, made me think. I want you (my reader) to read the posts I write and think to yourself “I can do this”. I do not want you to feel overwhelmed or that it’s too out of reach. BELIEVE ME if you knew me in “real life” you would say “Dang, if Tammy can do it then I can definitely do this”. Not kidding! Some of my closest friends wonder how I even tie my own shoelaces some days. But one of my favorite quotes is “It never gets easier, you only get better”. This is so true. The more I work at something the “easier” it gets. Not because the task itself got easier but because I got better. I evolved. The person I am today with food prep is not the person I was 4 years ago just starting out.

If I were to give weekly food prep guidelines to the “just starting out” Tammy this is what they would be…

Don’t try to prep it all!

First and foremost, when starting out, don’t try and make ahead your entire weekly menu plan. This will completely overwhelm you – it can still overwhelm me. Start slow. The first week prep 1 or 2 recipes ahead of time and as you get comfortable with the process you can prep more.

Don’t try new recipes

When starting out with food prep it is best to stick with recipes you already know. This way you are confident in the outcome of the recipe and the only thing you need to focus on is preparing it ahead of time. This is the way I started with my food prep. I took recipes that I made often, like taco meat and red clam sauce, and prepared them ahead of time and then stored in the refrigerator and sometimes freezer. I was able to focus on what worked, what didn’t, and most importantly it allowed me to experience the benefits of having food ready. I know taco meat and clam sauce is easy to make but I still found having these meals made ahead of time to be extremely beneficial.

Choose which recipe(s), if made ahead of time, would make the biggest difference in your week

This is huge! If you are short on time or don’t have the energy to prepare a lot of food then prioritize your meals. Which recipe, if made ahead of time, is going to make your week easier? If you are rushing around every morning and always running out of time for a healthy breakfast then maybe focus on preparing breakfast sandwiches or steel cut oats. If dinnertime brings you the most stress then put together some meal starters or prep ingredients for a couple slow cooker recipes. If you are always running to the vending machine at 3:00pm then put together some veggie packs or bags of almonds. What is going to make it easier for you to eat healthier during the week?

When I was working out of the house having lunch prepared was huge. If I didn’t I was going to the vending machines or cafeteria for sure. You can view all my mason jar salad recipes here.

While your workouts always leave you feeling refreshed, the muscle soreness afterward can also leave you feeling like a Robaxacet puppet – especially if you’ve just increased the intensity, frequency, or duration of your workout. For times like these, it’s always helpful to have muscle recovery strategies at your disposal.

Below are 10 natural ways to aid muscle recovery and ease muscle tension:

1. Hydrate

Okay, this one seems obvious, but many of us have a nasty habit of waiting until we feel thirsty to drink water – and if you’re not hydrated properly, your muscles will become stiff and prone to injury. I used to carry a giant bottle of water to work with me, but I found it to be really intimidating, so now I focus on drinking a glass of water every hour (with a hardcore replenish after each workout).

2. Lemon towel

Lemons are a natural anti-inflammatory (and smell amazing too). Mix two tablespoons of honey with the juice from three lemons and microwave for 30 seconds (an acceptable use for a microwave!). Dip a towel into the mixture and apply to sore areas to help your muscle recovery along.

3. Epsom salts

Epsom salts are made of magnesium sulfate: Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant, and as a salt they help reduce tissue swelling. Dissolve one or two cups of Epsom salts into warm bath water and soak for 15 minutes or until the water has cooled.

4. Ginger supplements

According to researchers at Georgia College and State University, ginger may help reduce muscle soreness: A change was noticed within 11 days of using two grams of ground ginger daily.

5. Drink tart cherry juice

Studies suggest tart cherries may be more effective than aspirin at relieving pain and reducing inflammation, thanks to the antioxidant anthocyanins, which can help minimize swelling in sore muscles. Drink about an ounce of cherry concentrate right before your workout – or, if cherries aren’t your thang, enjoy other foods that are rich in antioxidants like quinoa, kale and blueberries.

6. Heat therapy

Heat therapy increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to sore muscles while suppressing the pain signals being sent to your brain. Apply some form of heat – hot water bottle, heating pad, or a hot towel – to sore areas.

7. Cool with ice

With pain comes inflammation – and ice is the best natural remedy. It also acts as an anesthetic, essentially numbing the effected area and giving you a muscle recovery breather.

8. Stretch

Here’s the thing about muscle pain: It limits your movement, which ironically makes the pain even worse. (Oy to the vey.) Make sure to get your stretch on as often as possible – especially after sitting for extended periods of time or before an intense workout. Once you’ve incorporated more stretching into your day, muscle recovery will be a snap.

9. Exercise

You know how they say the best thing you can do to cure a hangover is to drink what caused the hangover? A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found the same is true for exercise: They compared the effects of massage or exercise to relieve muscle soreness, and found exercise to be just as effective.

10. Rest up

Especially after trying an intense workout you’re not used to, it’s best not to overdo it: If you sense an injury coming on, rest up before taking the plunge again. Listen to your body, and it’ll take care of the rest (no pun intended).

Most articles that offer dating tips will tell you what you did wrong on a date by recounting the deadly mistakes that are keeping you single: “Don’t be too fat, but don’t be too skinny.” “Don’t talk about your job, but do talk about your career goals.” “Be interesting … no, be interested. No, act cool.” Enough of that already!

The real reason you don’t have the love that you deserve isn’t how you acted on a date. It isn’t because you said the wrong thing or that you smiled at the waiter. It isn’t because you texted the guy after the date to thank him.

Here’s the hard truth: you picked someone who would leave you before you even went out on that date. Before you even spoke to this man, your mate selection mechanism was set on heartache. But the good news is, you can change your “Love Picker” and turn on your “Love Switch.”

Why do we pick the wrong people? There is a subconscious part of us that draws us to particular people who trigger a familiar feeling. We think it’s chemistry when the fireworks go off, but what’s actually happening is that your inner drama queen is having a field day. You’re bored with the nice guys and crave attention from the man who acts disinterested. Most people think they will never have chemistry with someone “nice” and that could very well be true. If you don’t change your mate selection mechanism, you will subconsciously choose the same heartache every time. You will ignore the obvious red flags, believing, that “this relationship” will be different … but nothing changes.

The key to finding true love is to discover the mechanism in your subconscious (we call it your inner Adam or Eve), which fits like a puzzle piece with potential partners. You don’t have to change how you act, your clothes, your weight, or your personality; you just need to shift your piece of the puzzle. When your puzzle piece shifts, you will see that the men or women you meet will start to change as well. You can have conscious chemistry with someone who wants commitment and love just like you. You will feel the fireworks, but it won’t be followed by a night of Ben & Jerry’s on the couch (unless you and your partner enjoy sweet treats together).

There are a few ways to change your “Love Picker.” In fact, your subconscious mind is always giving you clues on how to change it. It keeps bringing you heartache so that you can finally make an adjustment.

You may not have known that you can change it before today, but here is how:

1. Break bad patterns

Look for common themes in your relationships and figure out where the patterns have their roots. Try to identify the underlying fear you likely have of actually getting close to someone. Face the fear so you can break the bad pattern

2. Pay attention to your dreams

Your dreams are a treasury of insight and information to guide you on your journey to a fulfilling relationship. They speak to you in symbolic language so you need to journal about them and follow your inner guidance.

3. Create an inner dialogue

Work with your subconscious mind by visualizing and facing the part of you that acts as the picker. Ask yourself questions and trust the answers that come to you.

4. Get a guide

Hire a coach that specializes in subconscious work. This is the fastest way to get yourself aligned with love.

Once you shift your subconscious even slightly, you will see a huge difference in who you’re attracted to and who is attracted to you. You may even notice that more opportunities will show up to meet nice guys, and that friends will come out of nowhere to introduce you to someone worthy.

The bottom line is that you don’t have to worry about saying the right things or playing the dating game. Your picker, if well-tuned, will always give you the love match you most desire. Isn’t that much easier than wondering if you should wait three days to call him?

Let’s face it, a lot of the career advice out there is generic, false or otherwise unhelpful. Early on in school, we’re told to pick something we’re ‘passionate about’ or ‘good at’ – but how can an 18-year-old or even a 25-year-old have any clue if things they seem to like are going to fit into a good career?

The truth is that they don’t, and the result is that there are tons of people out there who actively dislike their jobs. This problem is particularly acute for lawyers because a legal education can put people on a specific, predefined path. Hence the legal industry has become somewhat notorious for dissatisfaction.

Don’t fully believe us? Consider the following:

• A study by Johns Hopkins found that of 100 occupations studied, lawyers were the most likely to suffer depression – 3.6 times more likely than the surveyed average.
• Seven in ten lawyers responding to a lawyer’s magazine poll said they would change careers if the opportunity arose.
• An ABA Young Lawyers Division survey indicated that 41 per cent of female attorneys were unhappy with their jobs.

This data may be based on the US, but things are no better in Australia, and there is little reason to believe that these trends will change. In light of these statistics, the premise of this article takes on an even brighter shade of significance.

Finding a place where you feel good (or at least not terrible) within the law or outside of it is imperative if you want to live a happy life.

Meaghan Lewis, a recent guest on the Beyond Billables Podcast is all too aware of this. But Meaghan’s story has less to do with unhappiness-forced change and more to do with initiative, bravery and staying true to herself – things that ultimately led to her finding the right spot.

Meaghan started off as a solicitor practising in New Zealand, but she moved to London, changed jurisdictions and learned a lot about herself in the process. She returned to Australia and continued her trajectory as a senior associate with Corrs Chambers Westgarth. But her perspective and needs had changed, she was no longer motivated by the excitement of the deal or the grueling pace of corporate law. She needed a change, so she quit without something else lined up.

By taking a leap of faith and listening carefully to her intuition, Meaghan landed a role as general counsel with The Law Society of NSW. She now works a 3-day work week and has seen a significant change in the qualitative and quantitative measures of her work. For Meaghan, finding the right place wasn’t drastic, it was going with the flow when it was right but not getting boxed in and never losing sight of what was important.

This is one example that can be emulated, but what else can you do if you’re feeling lost or stuck in your career?

Hone in on your best qualities.

Leading with your strengths is a great way to not only succeed but feel more fulfilled in your professional life. Start with a piece of paper and simply list out the areas where you feel you excel the most. If you need a mental jog, try reading StrengthsFinder 2.0, it’s excellent. There is, of course, the famous Myer-Briggs personality test, which can provide some insight as well. The bottom line is to figure out what you’re good at and how that correlates with your values. Having this information in your back pocket will prove a useful navigational tool.

Define what it is you’re after.

A huge issue for lawyers is that they put in incredibly long hours in high-stress environments and often find themselves asking for what. Salary alone is not a great motivator, if it were lawyers would not suffer from demotivation the way they do. So, define what you’re after. Your issue may be not that you don’t want to be a lawyer but that you want more time for yourself. Some people want freedom, some want prestige, some want to help others, some want more challenge – find that thing that you crave and incorporate it into your life.

Review your past.

As cliche as it may sound, one of the best ways to have a more successful future is to learn from the past. Hit yourself with a battery of questions like: What was the best/worst thing about past jobs? What was the best/worst thing about past cultures you worked in? What was the best/worst thing about past managers? What made me the happiest and proudest at work? What do I regret the most? What kind of people do I get along with best? Going through a reflective process like this allows you to clarify the environments and characteristics of a job that mean the most to you (and the ones that drive you crazy). Sussing this out is one of the first and most important steps towards finding your place.

Mix it up.

Sometimes, finding your sweet spot can be a bit of luck as much as it is careful planning. In this sense, the search for this type of thing can be like throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. We encourage people to get creative, change roles, professions and industries until something clicks. This can obviously cause turmoil, so it must be approached within the confines of your financial responsibilities and risk tolerance. But if your happiness and fulfilment are at stake, isn’t it worth it?

We all want to have lucrative, respected careers that make us grow as people and fulfil us emotionally. Some people get lucky, but far more are left searching. The good news is that, with the right approach and enough diligence, it’s possible to find a sweet spot. Be like Meaghan, find your 3-day workweek and don’t settle until you do.

Every professional has been guilty of making a mistake. Small mishaps are easier to overlook, such as a typo in a document or a formatting error in a spreadsheet. Other mistakes are harder to fix, such as accidentally sharing confidential information with the wrong client or realizing you did the math on your department’s yearly budget incorrectly and it’s already in use.

Whether the mistake is large or small, the important thing is to focus on how you can recover from it. Keep in mind that, no matter the situation, your reaction to the error will play a large part in how effectively you survive the mishap. The following steps can help you to be proactive and get ahead of your mistake.

Step back and assess the situation.

This is the first step you must take when you realize you’ve made an error. This is an important step because it will help you clearly determine what you will need to do moving forward. Immediately taking a breath and a step back and assessing what happened will help you look at the situation objectively to avoid overreacting.

Take a few moments and ask yourself: How bad was your mistake? How many people will be affected by it? Can you just apologize and move on or are there very serious consequences? If you are having trouble analyzing the situation without getting emotional, ask a close friend or family member to help you (without revealing any confidential information, of course).

Processing your emotions with them first can help you become objective about the situation more quickly. And, they may even give you some great advice. The key is to not have a knee-jerk reaction. Step out of your office or take a walk outside for a moment if you need to, in order to clear your head first.

Take responsibility.

Once you have assessed the situation and determined what the next steps are to rectify it, own up to the mistake. If you determined that all that is needed is an apology, make sure it happens as soon as possible, with the right people. If you made a simple mistake, the situation may only require you to notify your team. If it was a more serious error, in most cases you will also need to inform your boss.

When speaking with them, don’t beat around the bush. Get right to it. No matter what the circumstances, when taking responsibility for your mistake it is important to be clear about what happened and avoid trying to minimize your error. It will be easier to correct the mistake if you provide accurate information from the start and offer possible solutions. Admitting to your boss, team or client that you made a serious mishap can seem scary, but they will appreciate your honesty in the long run and it will preserve your professional relationship and brand, even if their first reaction isn’t a positive one. When you offer a solution, you offer a sense of comfort that you can handle rectifying the situation.

Prepare for damage control.

This is another important step to take, and the quicker you can start damage control, the better. Are you able to fix the situation on your own? If it was just a typo, it may be as simple as sending a new copy asking the recipient to disregard the previous version of the document.

Has this mistake happened to someone else on your team before? They may be able to share helpful steps you can take to remedy the situation. If you have made a serious mishap, you will most likely need to decide on a plan of action with your boss.

If the mistake is so serious that your job could be on the line, don’t go into the meeting already assuming you will be fired. Do your best to come up with a solution (or several) before you walk into your boss’s office and decide on action steps you will take in the future to prevent the mistake from happening again.

Manage the issue.

Again, it’s important to be proactive, especially if you have made a serious error. Develop a three-month and six-month plan of action to prevent any additional backlash from your error. If the mistake was large enough that you have been put on probation, don’t passively wait for the time to pass. Use the opportunity to not just learn from your mistake but also build your resilience muscle.

Keep track of everything you do to improve the situation, and check in with your boss or team frequently to let them know what steps you are taking. This will help build trust and confidence in your abilities moving forward. Maintaining your confidence after your error, and taking responsibility for it, will help demonstrate you are resilient in difficult situations.

Don’t let your mistakes define you. Famed former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said, “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything.” So don’t let making a mistake discourage you and paralyze you on your career path.

It’s important to focus on the future and identify what lessons can be learned from the situation. Determine how the mistake can help you – perhaps you need to be more cautious or detail-oriented moving forward. No matter what the mistake, remember to take what you can learn from the situation and keep moving forward.