Why Our All or Nothing Approaches Often Fail Us

How Small Changes Can Make a Large Impact

Your life choices don’t have to be all or nothing. It’s okay to move towards a goal in moderation. Doing something is indeed better than doing nothing.

A perfect example is climate change. Many people probably would like to reduce the negative impact that they have on the environment. But just because you care about the environment, doesn’t mean you have to stop driving a car or buy a Tesla. You don’t have to end all consumption to make an impact. You could simply start by carpooling or biking to work once a week. If you work in an office five days a week, ask your employer if you can work from home twice a week. If your work can be done remotely, and you are good at your job, there is really no reason an employer should deny this request.

Another example is diet. For me, I am trying to reduce my consumption of animal based products. There are two primary reasons for this. 1 — The meat and dairy industry contributes to about 18% of greenhouse gases emitted and are therefore one of the biggest contributors to climate change. 2 — I believe that eating large quantities of meat, as is typical in the American diet, is unhealthy. However, I don’t think vegetarianism is necessarily healthier than a diet with moderate meat and fish consumption. I personally am not ready to give up meat and cheese completely.

So instead of diving into a drastic dietary change, you can start by having one…