Small Wins: A Holistic Approach To Life By Luke Coutinho

A wise man once said, “You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step” and this pattern of doing things is quite effective. Some call it wisdom words but our expert has his approach to this concept, he calls it the concept of small wins. Where small but consistent steps result in long-term success. This time HFM brought a concept full of wisdom and knowledge & a holistic approach for our zealous readers by Luke Coutinho.

Luke Coutinho - Holistic Lifestyle Coach

Luke Coutinho is a celebrated Holistic Lifestyle Coach and practices in the field of Integrative Lifestyle Medicine and Life Coaching. In his practice, he believes that while doctors do what they have to do, the medicine he and his team use is Lifestyle. Luke Coutinho’s healing philosophy is based on the pillars of holistic wellness i.e. cellular nutrition, adequate exercise, deep sleep, and emotional detox.

The Concept of Small Wins

“Well, I think anything that’s ever been built in life, whether it’s a monument, architectural structure, business empire, or unicorn business, starts with small wins.” Luke believes that you should start with the idea that what you want to achieve, can be anything. Then find out the smallest step you can take towards it and the most important thing is to be consistent. A lot of people get worried because they’re trying to control the outcome, but they don’t want to take small actions that are required. And if they take small actions they are not consistent with it. “People set large goals like Let me start running a 10K, no you should never. First, you run 500 meters and do it for a week so that it's easy, then you're motivated to do 1 km and then 2, Because small wins will add up to make a good sum.”

Let Dopamine Motivate You

This concept of small wins is also based on neuroscience. We have something called dopamine. Dopamine is a reward molecule. So let’s say we fail at something because we made a larger goal. Then our brain will also try to prevent us from doing it again because it doesn’t like that feeling of failure, there is no dopamine. So, we achieved a small goal today, and when dopamine goes up we feel good. Tomorrow I will do it again and again and again. So whether it’s cancer or something as simple as losing weight it’s always small wins. The more you do, it becomes part of you, it becomes part of your lifestyle. So that’s the whole concept of small wins and you can apply it to the holistic health relationship work business.

The Key Factors: Patience And Consistency

“I strongly believe that it's always consistency over intensity.” We can take examples of rehabs, what do they do there? They treat people with consistency. If your body needs yoga to get in a better state and if you do it for one hour and then directly do it next week it is never going to help. Rather do 10-15 mins daily and it can do wonders to you. And in the concept of small wins consistency is the number one factor. The next most important aspect that will complement small wins is the mindset of being patient. And it’s the most difficult thing in today's world. “Because the thing is instead of gradual gratification people need everything quick and now”. And this is the biggest obstacle that people do not want to wait for, that is the reason that quick success crashes soon.

The 4 Pillars Of Holistic Living

What is holistic living? In simple words, holistic living is taking care of your entire self; mind, body, emotions, and soul. So Mr. Luke says the four pillars of holistic living hold the foundation of your entire well-being. These four pillars are; Physical well-being, Mental health, Emotional stability, and Spiritual growth. Physical well-being means knowing what your body needs. “If you want to work on yourself, people only do yoga or lift heavy weights, again don’t see the wanted results and then give up.” Maybe your body just needs a simple walk or some stretching, you should never overdo anything that will eventually demotivate you. If you want to improve flexibility work on that, if mobility then work on that. So know the needs of your body and again most importantly be consistent.

When we talk about mental health, the most important thing is to know the problem. It could be with anyone or anything; family, friends, office, partners, anyone. “Today when we are dealing with people who have mental illness or emotional problems most of them are overwhelmed. They don’t even know what’s causing the problem, everything is magnified because you are not stable in your mind.” And that is the reason they get stuck with the problem. “Keep patience and address your problems.”

Emotional stability and spiritual growth, again depend upon your approach. For emotional imbalance, always keep the faith and remind yourself that ‘there are a lot of good things in me and I can overcome this.’ And never forget that what makes you happy, is connecting with people, places, and activities that make you happy. As far as spiritual growth is concerned, this path differs for everyone, but the most important thing is to respect yourself. You have been given the gift of life, if you do not treasure yourself, it’s a disrespect to nature.

Conclusion

Considering every line above “No matter how much different and complex a situation is, fundamentals don’t change”; eat mindfully, sleep well, exercise, and take care of your mind and body.

My Life And Small Wins

As the saying goes, ‘charity begins at home’, being a holistic lifestyle aficionado HFM asked Mr. Luke Coutinhoo about how the concept of small wins has influenced his life. He believes small wins and consistency have done amazing things to his life, “ I apply this concept in the basics of my lifestyle, like not starting my cell phone 1 hour after waking up. That one hour gives me time to relax, pray, and meditate before starting my phone and day. Daily doing this is so refreshing for me. Another thing is I travel a lot so doing 1 hour of daily exercise and strict diet control is not possible, but then staying consistent is important. So I work out for only 15 minutes and do mindful eating, but again the gig is to be consistent.” So, the crux is by taking one step at a time, patiently and consistently you can pave your path towards a holistic living.