Big changes can happen in small increments. Take baby steps!
When you want to make a change or try a new experiment, it's okay to take it slow. Look for the smallest possible step, one that is so small that it almost doesn't even register on your radar screen as a change. A step that makes you say, Sure, no problem! I can do that easily!!
For example, if you want to help the baby start learning to soothe himself a bit, first try waiting just 5 seconds longer than you usually do before going to him when he starts fussing. Try it out, and see how it goes.
When it feels like you are ready for more, look for the next smallest possible adjustment and make that one. Maybe try waiting 10 seconds. For some parents, their no-brainer time increments are measured in minutes, not seconds. That's fine - there's no right or wrong here. Adjust your steps until they fly under your radar. Only you know what constitutes a baby step for you!
Continue on in this effortless way until you are where you want to be. My friend has a needlepoint on her kitchen wall of a saying that's been in her family for generations: Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, it's a cinch! I find it strangely comforting in a cheesy sort of way.
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