Why I made a mountain of falafel... and the 'Small Adjustments Challenge'

I made this huge pile of baked falafel this morning (and I had even more leftover chickpeas!) ...it's ALL for me and there is a good reason for it!

I'll fill you in below and link to the recipe (cos it's awesome) but first I want to give you some context and the birth of an idea.

A few weeks ago I went on a coaching retreat hosted by the Extraordinary Coach. It was an incredibly powerful and intense experience in which we shared our truths and vulnerability on video camera in front of the whole room (I'll share more on that once my video has been published). As part of that process one of the ladies shared a powerful insight about 'small adjustments' and what impact that could have in her life. It has stuck with me ever since. 

We typically spend so much time focusing on the big goals and life events and in doing so we overlook the significance that small, sometimes tiny shifts can make in our lives, especially when repeated over time. I'll hold my hand up and be the first to admit that I struggle with doing things consistently (oooh look shiny new thing to distract me!) but equally I know the power it holds when I do and so I am committing to finding ways to create more consistency that doesn't overwhelm me and lead to sabotage.

Once I'm overwhelmed I'm done for... can you relate? ;-)

Consistent action can be supported by accountability, particularly in the first few weeks before it becomes a habit. So, whilst out for a walk yesterday I came up with an idea for a 30 day challenge to serve both you and me... I think it's a win-win!

The key thing here (and I believe in life I general) is to have a mindset of curiosity... that is so often the key to overcoming overwhelm. This challenge should be fun, there will be a sense of accountability and opportunities to check in with yourself and me throughout the process.

So quite simply here it is:

1- Pick a small adjustment that you feel could make a signficant difference to your life. It must be SMALL and only ONE thing!

Notes: I've given a few examples below to get your mind moving and also filled you in on what mine is going to be. You can pick what ever you like purely on the basis that you feel it will have a significant positive impact for you personally. Just pick one thing, I know how easy it can be to get excited at the start and pick multiple things only to find the novelty wears off after a few days and you fall off the wagon and beat yourself up- yep I hear ya, I do it too!  This is a personal challenge with no public declaration or Facebook group (yup, those not on social media can rejoice!) although of course please keep in touch with me via email as we progress. ;-)

2- Commit to making that one 'small adjustment' everyday for 30 days: November 20th - December 20th.

3- Pop your details in the box below to confirm you are up for the challenge so that you get further weekly challenge specific emails from me.

Note: All this does is add a tag in my mailing list to let me know you'd like to receive the extra special emails so that I don't send them to the rest of my community who have chosen not to get involved. If you do not pop your details in the link you won't hear from me about this again. Simple!

4- Send me an email before 20th November to let me know that you are in and what your 'small adjustment' will be.

5- Mark the date in your diary and get ready to kick off on November 20th with a mindset of curiosity to see what unfolds over the 30 days...

Some examples and my commitment...

I have noticed recently that when I snack between meals it is typically on sweeter higher carb things e.g granola, energy balls, fruit etc which triggers my sweet tooth more and I'm more likely to overeat.

One choice could be to cut out snacking altogether but I know that would likely lead me to overwhelm and sabotage and does not feel sustainable for me long term (a vision of long term is not a necessity but something I personally want to feel a possibility), so my 'small adjustment' will be to swap all my snacks throughout the day to healthy savoury options (see, now you'll undertand my pile of falafel! - I'll follow up with more details in a separate blog post shortly.) I can still have sweet things as dessert... just not as snacks!

How about you? Whether you decide to take the challenge or not I'd love to hear what ideas you come up with. This is about a focus on creativity and habit shifting NOT restriction and overwhem. A great approach to life in general!

Some other ideas could be...

• Drink a big mug of lemon water every morning (you know how much I love this!)
• Exercise for 10 minute each day ( or even 5 minutes!)
• Walk or cycle any journey that is less than 10 minutes by foot instead of using the car
• Wake up 20 minutes early each morning and use that time to read or meditate 
• Have one less coffee/can of coke per day
• Swap the biscuits at break time for a healthy snack
• Have one les sugar in your mug of tea, or swap your regular tea to herbal varieties. 
• Tell your loved ones that you love them every single day

This list could be virtually limitless, right? So less keep it going...

I'd love to hear your ideas too. Whether you decide to take the challenge or not ping me a reply with any ideas and I'll compile a big list!

P.s Yes I said I'd link to the recipe. I haven't written it up on the blog yet though I will do at some point, but in actual fact I followed this recipe by Mark Bittman pretty much exactly (rare for me as I nearly always change things!) so simple and so so good. Perfect healthy baked falafel which freezes well too... that's what i'll be doing with my mountain! 

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