New Year, Same Me — Just 2% Kinder

Every January we’re encouraged to start again.
New year, new me. New plans, new rules, new versions of ourselves. ✨

But listening to the final chapter of Embrace Discomfort by Michael Easter, I was struck by a gentler idea — the idea of the 2 percenters. 🌱

These aren’t people who reinvent their lives in January.
They don’t announce big intentions or sign up for dramatic programmes.

They just make choices that are slightly better than the alternative.

Taking the stairs instead of the lift. 🚶‍♀️
Walking short distances rather than automatically driving.
Eating just a little less — not dieting, not depriving — just stopping when they’re comfortable rather than full. 🍽️

Two percent less food might look like:
Leaving a couple of mouthfuls on the plate
Serving slightly smaller portions
Pausing before seconds instead of reaching automatically

So small you’d barely notice it.
Which is why it felt doable to me.

What I liked about the idea is that it isn’t about discipline — it’s about sustainability. 🌿

Small choices don’t trigger resistance. They don’t require motivation, planning, or willpower. You’re not trying to become someone else, just nudging things in a kinder direction.

Because the effort is low, the behaviour repeats.
And because it repeats, it compounds.

Over time, those tiny shifts quietly add up:
You move more without thinking about it
Your relationship with food softens
Weight and energy often change without a “plan”
Life feels less like a project and more like something you’re living

At least, that’s how it landed with me. 💭

And if some days you take the lift, eat the cake, or stay on the sofa?
Nothing needs fixing.

You haven’t failed — because there was never a rulebook in the first place.

So maybe this year doesn’t need a new you at all.
Just the same you… noticing the slightly kinder option when it appears.

Just 2%. 🌸
And letting the year do the rest.