How simple steps can make big changes.

As I was preparing for my 26th birthday back in July, I wrote about my 30 Day Challenge, a period where I was working to form good habits right before embarking on a new year of life. That post sparked a conversation with my mom where she mentioned the idea of improving a manageable 10% in one or two aspects of your life, instead of driving in head first into multiple aspects for a full 30 days.

Today I wanted to play off that idea and discuss some areas where a 10% improvement would be relatively easy to achieve and still lead to significant impact.

1. Mindfulness – A 10% increase in mindfulness might be achieved by meditating for 5 minutes a few times a week. Or perhaps by eating one meal a day without any distractions (no phone, TV, magazine, etc).
2. Sustainability – Strive here for a 10% decrease in your purchase of plastics. Can you find products packaged in glass instead? Bring your own produce bag? Can you say no to straws, to-go containers/cups, or other single-use items? Or try to have a 10% reduction in the food waste you generate. Pop your leftovers in the freezer to save for another day instead of tossing them in the trash. Waste not, want not, right?
3. Health – Perhaps a 10% increase in your veggie consumption is possible. Or make a decision that is 10% healthier, such as flavoring your coffee with honey or agave instead of artificial sweeteners.
4. Minimalism – Consider reducing your consumption by adapting a 10% more minimal lifestyle. Donate one pair of shoes or a few of those forgotten shirts in the back of your closet. Or go one month without making any unnecessary (making sure you’ve first define this carefully) purchases.
5. Education – Up your smarts by engaging your mind a little more than usual.  Aim to read a book a month, watch TED Talks on YouTube, or find a One Day University near you (my parents are big fans).   

Small changes can make a big impact over time and are sometimes all you need to build healthy and lasting habits. I’m personally going to work on being 10% better with my electricity usage and doing 10% more reps per workout (luckily this only amounts to one or two more!)

-TM

Where will you make a 10% life improvement? Let us know below.