Grant Baldwin’s Blog

I’m two months into a little project I started at the beginning of the year to make small adjusts and changes in my life.  Some of them are habits to implement while others may just be one-time changes that I’ve been meaning to do.  You can read more about the original concept in the post, “Introducing Small Changes To Your Life,” and also from the January update, “Putting Progress Before Perfection.”

Before I get to my update for how my February changes went, I wanted to think out loud for a second regarding which is better…

BIG CHANGES Or little changes? 

I’ve been thinking about this in the context of personal finances.  Is it more important to get a lower interest rate on your credit card balance or to switch to energy-efficient light bulbs that save you a few extra bucks each month?  Is it better to sell your car so you can pay cash for something more affordable or to save money by buying groceries in bulk?

Most of the time we lean more towards the BIG CHANGES as being more valuable or worth the effort.  Saving a few bucks here or there on energy-efficient light bulbs or buying groceries in bulk doesn’t feel like that big of a deal.  But if you make a few changes like those, collectively they can have a BIG impact. 

So which is more valuable?  To me, it’s not an either/or answer but rather something that needs to be both/and.  Sure you can make the obvious, BIG changes in your life that improve things, but sometimes some of the little tweaks and adjustments can have just as significant of an impact.             

What are the changes, both BIG and little, you need to make?

CHANGES for February

• Make a Will – I got this done.  We completed some estate planning documents and even got them all notarized.  The one thing I still need to do is make a few copies of them and distribute to family members, so in case something were to happen to us, they know what to do. (Grade: A-)
• Take Vitamins – I picked up some multi-vitamins at the beginning of the month, but way too often, I just forget to take them!  I’ve been taking them usually 3-4 days each week. (Grade: B+)
• Get My Passport – Alright, I didn’t really make any progress on this.  I printed out the application a few months ago, so I dug through my files to find it, pulled it out, set it on my desk, and there it has sat for the entire month. (Grade: D+)

CHANGES for March

• Get My Passport – Obviously, this is a carryover from February, but I still need to get it done. 
• Learn To Solve A Rubik’s Cube – March is full of time in airports and on airplanes so learning to solve a Rubik’s cube may be a good way to pass the time!
• Eat Something I Would Normally Never Try – Like I said, I’ve got a lot of travel in March, so when I’m in a new city, it’s usually a good excuse to try somewhere new for dinner.  So while I’m trying a new place, I’ll try a new taste (man that was corny).  I’m up for recommendations for some exotic, random item I should try to find… 

Related posts:

1. April CHANGES Update
2. May CHANGES Update
3. July CHANGES Update
4. June CHANGES Update
5. August CHANGES Update