Why the benefits of positive change are often much greater than we expect
Imagine someone offered you an investment opportunity.
You invest $1,000 and expect a return of $1,500.
That seems worthwhile.
But what if the actual return was closer to $5,000?
You'd probably evaluate the opportunity very differently.
I wonder if we do something similar when it comes to our wellbeing.
If I improve my sleep, I'll wake up with more energy.
If I address feelings of anxiety, I'll feel calmer.
If I stop eating sugary snacks after dinner, I'll lose weight.
We naturally focus on the outcome we're hoping to achieve.
But what if we're valuing the investment through a much narrower lens than we should be?
When we're busy, overwhelmed or simply trying to keep all the balls in the air, it's easy to postpone looking after ourselves.
I'll deal with it in the holidays.
Things will settle down soon.
It's not that bad.
I'll just push through.
Most of us have probably said some version of these words at one time or another.
It's not that we don't value our wellbeing. Perhaps we just haven't valued the investment accurately.
Recently, I reviewed a collection of client outcome data and noticed something interesting.
People often sought support for one specific challenge, but the changes they reported extended far beyond the issue they originally wanted to address.
Alongside relief from their initial concern, people consistently described feeling calmer, more confident and more energised.
They reported healthier self-talk and a greater ability to be kind to themselves.
They described more laughter and happiness, stronger relationships, a greater sense of connection and more hope for the future.
Overall wellbeing improved.
What struck me most was that these patterns appeared repeatedly, regardless of the original reason people had sought support.
The more I reflected on the data, the more I realised that we often give ourselves credit only for the outcome we expected.
If we wanted to sleep better and we're finally sleeping through the night, we call that a success.
But do we stop to notice that we're also more patient?
Do we recognise that we're enjoying our relationships more?
Do we acknowledge that we're laughing more often?
Probably not.
Perhaps part of the reason we underestimate the value of positive change is that many of the things that matter most aren't particularly easy to measure.
It's easy to count hours slept.
It's easy to track weight loss.
It's easy to record how many times we exercised this week.
But how do we measure hope?
How do we measure joy?
How do we measure the quality of our relationships?
How do we measure the way we speak to ourselves?
Yet these are often the very things that shape our daily experience and influence our overall wellbeing.
With that in mind, I'd like to invite you to do a quick check-in.
Take a moment to rate yourself in each of the following areas, where 1 means you're a long way from where you'd like to be and 10 represents your ideal.
The Hidden Benefits Scorecard
How are you feeling in these areas today? Score each from 1 to 10.
Energy
Calm
Confidence
Self-talk
Ability to be kind to yourself
Joy and happiness
Laughter
Hope for the future
Relationships and connection
Overall wellbeing
Now, put the scorecard away.
Come back to it in a month's time and complete it again.
Notice what's changed.
How are you feeling in these areas now?
What's working well?
What isn't?
Which areas might need a little more focus?
This isn't a test, and there isn't a right or wrong score.
The purpose is simply to widen the lens.
To pay attention to the areas of your life that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Because what we measure matters.
And perhaps the next time you're weighing up whether something is worth your time, energy or attention, you'll remember that the return may be far greater than you initially gave it credit for.
