9: Use Small and Slow Solutions

Use Small and Slow Solutions

“Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, making better use of local resources and producing more sustainable outcomes.”

🐌 About the Principle

One of my favorite Aikido teachers, the late Wendy Palmer Sensei, often spoke about our society’s complicated relationship with small, incremental changes. She pointed out that we might object loudly to a 2% tax increase, yet dismiss a 2% improvement in compassion or mindfulness as insignificant.

This principle invites us to rethink that mindset. Instead of rushing to create big, sweeping changes, it asks us to consider the power of small, deliberate shifts. These smaller changes can lead to profound and lasting improvements in our lives.

This idea runs counter to the dominant culture in much of the Western world, which celebrates dramatic transformations: losing 100 pounds, doubling profits, or achieving overnight success. I would suggest that those changes are often unsustainable and short-lived. Small changes—integrated gradually—are easier to maintain and more likely to become permanent parts of our lives.

This principle reminds us that sustainable progress doesn’t have to be flashy. It’s found in small steps, repeated over time, that create meaningful and lasting transformation.

🌱 Slow Solutions in Your Life

  • What small, repeatable action could I take today that would build into a meaningful change over time?

  • What is the smallest possible solution that could create real change? What small, sustainable shift would help me move toward what matters most to me?

  • What is one simple action I can take right now—like rearranging furniture, adjusting where a tool is stored, or clearing out a space—that would make my life easier?

  • Where in my life would a slow, gradual change be easier to accept and sustain than a fast one?

  • Where could patient attention benefit the people in my life?

  • What would I like 2% more of in my life—whether it’s connection, peace, energy, or joy?

  • What can we do to celebrate small things? Where do we recognize ourselves for making a small incremental shift?

🌐 Slow Solutions in Your Community

  • Is our community growing sustainably, or are we overextending our resources in ways that might lead to instability?

  • What limits or boundaries should we respect to ensure our community thrives for future generations?

  • How can we balance growth—whether economic, population, or development—with preserving the character, health, and well-being of our community?

  • Where in our community would a slow, patient approach to problem-solving be more effective than rushing to find quick fixes?

  • What traditions, systems, or practices already exist in our community that we can build upon to create sustainable growth?

🌿 Examples in Nature

  • Tree Growth - Trees can take years to reach maturity, but their slow growth does a great deal to support carbon sequestration and to create habitats.

  • Canyons - When you look at wonders like the grand canyon and imagine them being created by years and years of water carving into the rock, it is a reminder of what slow and steady process can do.

🌀 Integrating this Principle

  • Combining this principle with the first one on looking and seeing the world around you, it can be helpful to start with what we might want to change that is small. Could moving a table 2 inches make a difference? Would we be able to see each other more clearly if we shift a chair?

  • Choose one routine that feels manageable to maintain over time, such as drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning or dedicating ten minutes a day to a hobby.

📖 Resources for Further Exploration

Written by Beth M. Duckles. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Contact me.