One Small Change That Could Transform Your Entire Life: A Guide to Strategy and Paradigm Shifting

If there is one blog you read today that could truly change your results for the better, let it be this one.

But promise yourself something. Do not just read it and carry on with your day. Read it. Let it land. Then identify one small thing you feel ready to change to help you achieve the results that you want.

Creating a New Paradigm

At Dreem Coaching & Consulting, we are in the business of creating new paradigms. This is not a fancy term for change. It is about shifting the way we think, feel, and act so that we begin to produce results that truly match what we want. We recognise that what got us here may not necessarily take us to where we want to go next. This applies to leadership, business, relationships, health, love, and advocacy.

The details might differ, but the process is the same. Creating a new paradigm begins with clarity. We need to be able to answer the question: What do I truly want? It is surprising how often the answer is vague or half-formed. Until the goal is clear enough to picture, describe, and feel, it is just a wish.

The Chain of Change: Results, Actions, Feelings, Beliefs, and Assumptions

From there, it is time to look at the results you are currently getting. If you like some of those results, keep doing what you are doing. If there are results you do not like and want to change, work backward.

Ask yourself:

• What actions have I been taking?

• How do I feel when I take them?

• What core belief is driving those feelings?

• And what assumption sits underneath that belief?

That chain: Results > Actions > Feelings > Beliefs > Assumptions, shows you exactly where change needs to happen. Sometimes, just becoming aware of one link in this chain is enough to start shifting it.

Replacing Habits for Lasting Transformation

Once we know the outcome we want and have assessed the results we are getting, we can look at the habits and behaviours shaping them. Around 96 to 98 percent of what we do each day is habit. Some habits will be helping us; others will be quietly holding us back.

This is where the shift happens. We identify one habit that is not serving us and replace it with one that will. Not two or three at once. Just one.

• If you want to improve your health, you could replace late-night snacking with a herbal tea and an early bedtime. I gave up all processed sugar, replacing it with things like pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

• If you want stronger relationships, you could make a habit of putting your phone away during conversations and focusing fully on the person in front of you.

• If you want to make better use of your mornings, you could replace scrolling through your phone with writing a short list of priorities for the day.

For me personally, I now have my phone on "Do Not Disturb" or airplane mode for the first 1.5 hours in the day and the last 1.5 hours at night. It is simple, but it is not always easy.

Without replacing an old habit, we leave a void that the brain will quickly fill with something else, often with another bad habit. That is why consciously replacing the identified non-productive habit with one that is productive is so important.

A quick note: do not try to ‘fix’ a paradigm that is no longer serving you. That does not work, and you will just create a more entrenched bad habit. Focus on replacing it with a new one that will serve you.

• Think about someone trying to quit smoking. If they do not consciously replace the habit of stepping out for a smoke every 20 minutes, they might start going to the fridge every 20 minutes instead. The old habit has simply been replaced with another, but this time it is overeating. That is why many people gain weight when they quit smoking. A more productive replacement? Taking those same 20-minute intervals to return calls while walking around the block. Now the habit is rewired in a healthy, growth-oriented direction.

• Think about a salesperson who knows their sales results are not where they want them to be. They want more, but their daily habits are not supporting that goal. Every morning, they spend the first hour checking emails and scrolling through social media. It feels productive because they are “catching up” on what is happening, but in reality, it delays the important work of generating sales. If they simply stop doing that without replacing it, the time might still be wasted. Maybe now it is chatting with colleagues or reorganising their desk. The result is the same: no new sales conversations are happening, and no improvement in results. A more productive replacement? Using that first hour to make three proactive calls to warm leads or to follow up with existing clients. By replacing the passive habit with a targeted, revenue-generating activity, they not only start the day with momentum but also create a new habit that directly impacts results.

If you are not happy with your results, like say, for example, revenue generated, start by asking yourself: What do I want them to be? Then look closely at the actions you have been taking. Which of those actions are not productive or are simply not moving you toward your goal? Decide what you can replace them with that will have a productive impact instead. Once you know the replacement action, focus on building consistency until it becomes a habit, a new paradigm that serves you rather than holds you back. The key is not just making the change once but repeating it until it becomes second nature. If you would like to create more revenue, start assessing all your non-revenue-generating activities and which ones you will replace with new revenue-generating activities with no fear or doubt.

Strategy and Tactics: The Core of Intentional Change

When we create a new paradigm, we do it in layers. Each small change starts to influence the way we think and respond. Over time, the results begin to shift. This is not limited to one part of life. We all have many layers: work, family, health, relationships, passions, and causes we care about. No one layer defines us. For some, the layers stay separate. For others, they overlap and feed into one another. Whichever way they sit, the approach is the same: define the goal, identify what is in the way, replace it with something better, consciously bring in consistency, and give it time to take root.

When we talk about creating new paradigms, this applies to individuals and organisations. At Dreem, strategy is often where we begin our work with both. It is critical to the success of any business or career. Defining the purpose, vision, mission, and values is not a one-off exercise. It needs to be embedded into the very DNA of how we think, decide, and act.

Strategy is the big picture. It is the clear vision of where we want to go and why, the overarching plan that guides every decision. Tactics are the specific actions we take to get there. People often confuse the two because both involve action and planning. The difference is that strategy is long-term and directional, while tactics are short-term and operational.

Without a clear strategy, tactics can become scattered and reactive. Without effective tactics, a strategy remains an idea that never comes to life. This confusion often happens when we are so busy with immediate tasks that we lose sight of how, or even if, those tasks connect to the bigger picture. When strategy and tactics work together, change becomes deliberate rather than accidental. This is as true for an individual creating a healthier lifestyle as it is for an organisation transforming its culture. The strategy provides the vision and the anchor. The tactics are the steps that bring it to life.

Without both, results drift, and we create bad habits and paradigms. With both, results become intentional, and we create the right habits and paradigms. You stop being reactive and focus on the habits that will bring the best results.

We have seen leaders transform their teams by creating new rhythms for communication. They stop relying on last-minute problem-solving and start using structured weekly check-ins.

In the advocacy space, which I have been involved in for a couple of years now, we have seen people avoid burnout by replacing constant reactive work with short, focused sessions that prioritise what will have the most impact.

In health, I have watched people swap high-pressure workout plans they cannot sustain for short, daily walks that they enjoy and yield far greater benefits.

The Power of Self-Reflection and Stillness

Something else that has made a huge difference for me personally is self-reflection. There was a moment when I realised that not everything in life is my fault, but everything in my life is my responsibility. When I truly understood that, everything shifted. It meant I could stop wasting energy blaming external circumstances and start focusing on what was in my control.

That awareness also changed my relationship with pain. I no longer run from it. I can sit with it. I can ask myself what it is here to teach me. And when my ego gets in the way, I do not mind admitting it. I now use those moments as a signpost. If my ego is triggered, there is usually a fear sitting underneath it: fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being misunderstood, fear of losing something important. Once I know the fear, I can work with it rather than letting it drive me.

Stillness plays a vital role in this process. Without space to pause and reflect, it is easy to lose sight of what matters most and be led by ego. When we slow down, we can see the patterns more clearly. We start to notice what is working, what is not, and where the opportunities for change are hiding. Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference, but we only spot them when the noise settles.

The Path to Lasting Change

Creating a new paradigm is not about working harder or overhauling everything at once. It is about finding the one change that will start to shift the way we think, feel, and act. Then it is about staying with it long enough for it to become part of who we are. The moment we begin to see a result we like, even a small one, it reinforces the new pattern. One change leads to another. And slowly, almost without noticing, we find ourselves living in a new way that feels more aligned with what we want.

So, if you are ready for a shift, start by getting clear on what you want. Look honestly at your habits and choose one that is not serving you. Replace it with something that does. Keep it small, keep it consistent, and let it grow. That is how new paradigms are created. That is how results change.

Change does not happen because we rush to fix everything at once. It happens because we stop, look honestly at where we are, and decide to take one step in a better direction. That step might feel small, but the ripple effect can be extraordinary.

I invite you to sit with this. Let it settle. Notice where it lands for you and what it stirs. Then ask yourself: What is the one change I am ready to make?

Ready to Make a Shift?

If you or your organisation need a hand, reach out to us at [email protected]. We design tailored programs, from strategy workshops to behavioural preference profiling and Operating Rhythm creation for different types of organisations and industries to help leaders and teams create lasting change.

We also have a Women in Business and Leadership program starting very soon. It could be the first step toward the shift you have been looking for.

With Gratitude,

Reem Borrows.