The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect is a great way of understanding how small changes can lead to big changes.

Back in the 1960s, meteorologist, Edward Lorenz was using complex mathematical formulae to predict weather patterns. In one simulation, he truncated one of the input variables to a few decimal points, a minuscule change in the overall scheme of things. What he found was that this tiny change had a massive effect on the outcome. This led to the notion of the Butterfly Effect, the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazonian rain forest can cause a hurricane thousands of miles away.

As a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist, I use this notion to help clients move towards their preferred future one small step a time. If someone wants to clear their cluttered house, this can seem a little overwhelming and lead to procrastination, so I ask, “What is the smallest step you can take towards achieving that goal.” Often people say something like, “Clean out the cutlery drawer.”  

Taking one small step tells the brain we are moving towards achieving that overall goal and makes the task less daunting. Small steps create motivation, this is because when we achieve, feel good chemicals are release into the brain.  The experience, the focused actions, and the discipline that you took upon yourself to achieve releases the most notable chemical, Dopamine. Dopamine helps us feel pleasure as part of the brain's reward system.  

Not only will these feel good chemicals help us achieve more, but they will also make us much more likely to reach even higher in the future. By the time you're enjoying the feeling of achievement, your sights are already set on the next milestone you want to achieve.

So, if you have a huge task on your to do list that your avoiding like the plague, just start by doing one small thing and create your own Butterfly Effect.