Sublime

“For one thing, I’m trying to exercise a lot more—Pilates, hiking, Cardio Barre. I’ve never had a hobby, so I’m trying to think of exercise as my hobby, you know, ‘reframing.’ That way it covers fitness and also the atmosphere of growth. Also, my dentist has been after me for years to get my teeth fixed, so I finally ‘tackled a nagging task’ and go

Although treats make it easier to stick to good habits, if we make a habit of a treat, it may stop feeling like a treat. In “treat creep,” a rare treat gradually turns ordinary, or a small indulgence grows larger over time.

I remind myself: Just because something is fun for other people doesn’t mean it’s fun for me—and it’s a lot easier to stick to a habit that I honestly enjoy.

I began by collecting examples of other people’s inventive treats: browsing through art books, cookbooks, or travel guides; taking photographs on a walk; napping; having a session of “fur therapy” (petting a dog or cat); wandering through a camping store; looking at family photo albums; keeping art postcards in the car visor for a quick diversion i

If you change course by one degree to the right every half hour or so, you’ll never notice a drastic change, but you’ll end up in a completely different place than if you maintained your initial trajectory. I advise people to steer their lives with a series of “one-degree turns.”