It’s the time of year for New Year’s resolutions. Every year, people resolve to lose weight, eat better, start meditating, etc. Given that we’re now in mid-January, some of those 2020 resolutions have probably already been abandoned.

It may be that it’s tough to keep these resolutions because they’re too grand or too sweeping. They can feel overwhelming. But perhaps there is another way to change our lives in a lasting way.

Just before Christmas, I attended a party at a co-worker’s house. My co-worker had recently installed a stunning outdoor hot tub in her courtyard. “We keep it set to 102 degrees,” she said (38.8°C, for my non-US readers). “We bumped it up to 103 (39.4°C), but it was so hot that we couldn’t take it.”

I’m sure there’s a scientific explanation as to why the slightly higher water temperature feels unbearable to the human body. But I was amazed that a difference of one degree could have such an impact. I then found myself thinking about extending this idea to life more broadly.

I wondered what aspect of my life I could change by just one degree and achieve a major impact. Would it be going to bed just 10 minutes earlier? Would it be writing just one more email before leaving the office? Would it be slowing down while chewing my meals?

I’m still playing around with a few of these one-degree resolutions to see how they work out. They certainly feel more achievable than some of the goals I’ve set in past years. And because they’re smaller, it’s easier to get back on track if I slip up.

So even if you’ve already given up on the New Year’s resolutions you made for 2020, take a fresh look, and try something simpler and easier to implement.

What one-degree resolution can you make that will have a significant impact on your life?

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