The Small Blog

Fri, February 12, 2010 - 1:55:13

In Life and Love, the Small Stuff Counts

With Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend, you’re probably thinking about your love life a little more than usual and if you’re wondering about just how to find that special someone without the help of Cupid’s bow and arrow, you’re not alone.  As Sharon Jayson reports in Thursday’s USA TODAY the dating scene is experiencing a seismic shift and although most couples still meet each other through mutual friends, the Internet is rapidly gaining in popularity, accounting for the way 23% of those surveyed met their significant others.  But even as the social spectrum continues to change, one thing remains a constant: when it comes to happy relationships, it’s essential to sweat the small stuff.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, February 12, 2010 - 10:40:50

Get Fit, Step By Step

If you’re like one in five people around the world, you always get winded no matter how frequently you work out and, contrary to what you might assume, it’s not because you’re lazy.  In fact, according to recent research findings released in the Journal of Applied Physiology, 20 percent of people are actually genetically predisposed to seeing little improvement in their endurance levels, even when exercising regularly.  But, despite these new findings, scientists assert that regular exercise has potent benefits for people of all abilities and genetic make-ups, and especially if you’re like a fifth of people out there, taking small steps toward your fitness goals can help you make huge progress.

Sure, for many of us, exercising can be a chore and if you’re physically incapable of increasing your endurance, it can be even harder to get motivated.  Luckily, we’ve devised a trick that we use to conquer the much-dreaded Stairmaster® day in and day out and it’s surprisingly easy.  All you have to do is count backwards.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Sat, February 06, 2010 - 10:44:20

Little Abstractions Can Produce Big Concrete Results

Earlier this week, we came across a fascinating New York Times Science article that opened our eyes to another surprising way in which SMALL works.  In our book and here on the Small Blog, we’ve discussed in the past how subtle shifts in body language can betray a person’s inward thoughts.  But, according to scientists at the University of Amsterdam, external factors can have a surprising effect on the way humans form opinions.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, January 29, 2010 - 4:18:25

Don’t Just Sweat the Small Stuff; Celebrate it.

There’s no question that the past few weeks have been challenging ones.  From rising unemployment statistics, to a troubled economy, to natural disasters around the globe, we’ve endured a heap of BIG problems this January, and it might have you feeling the winter doldrums even more than usual.

But, by zeroing in on the small stuff and focusing on the solutions one tiny detail at a time, you can overcome even the most seemingly insurmountable of obstacles.  And that’s not all. As a recent Today Show segment with Dr. Nancy Snyderman reminds us, the key to navigating the tough times isn’t just to sweat the small stuff; it’s to celebrate it.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, January 29, 2010 - 10:16:28

Small Donations Have a Big Impact

In our book, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference and here on the SMALL Blog, we’ve told you how small donations can make a world of difference, here in the U.S. and abroad.  But, as the crisis in Haiti continues to unfold and reports of seemingly endless suffering dominate the headlines, we can’t underscore enough how even the tiniest contribution can have outsize effects.

On Friday, we explained how organizations of all sizes are using innovative approaches to overcome this enormous problem one little step at a time, from the American Red Cross’ highly successful text message campaign, to the Davis family’s efforts in Winston-Salem North Carolina, where they are raising funds by selling $1 cups of hot chocolate.  Little by little, people across the nation are doing their part, and as Statesman Journal Executive Editor, Bill Church, writes in his Sunday column, the core ideas of THE POWER OF SMALL are spreading across the country to help affect real change in communities around the world.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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