(Meirav Devash/ Oprah Daily) — New year, new-and-improved you? Not so fast. In a recent survey from Forbes Health/OnePoll, just 20 percent of respondents said they keep themselves accountable when it comes to sticking to their resolutions. If you can relate, we assert that the problem isn’t you but the impossible resolutions you’re making.
Odds are you’ve got good intentions, but you’re either leaping too far outside your comfort zone or getting too hung up on perfection. Or both! The secret is to choose a change that fits into and enhances the life you’re already living. We asked friends, family, and colleagues for easy shifts (some daily, some one-and-done) that have made a real difference to them. Take one and pass it on.
“This year I challenged myself to a ‘no-shop November’ and started deleting my Gmail promotions inbox two or three times a day to resist temptation. (I don’t have the stamina to sit down and unsubscribe to everything.) It’s been super easy to maintain and feels wonderfully subversive. Best of all, I cut my Amex bill in half for the month, which is a great incentive to keep it up.” (…)