259_Habits for Sustainable Success: The Little Things Make the Difference

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 259

Habits for Sustainable Success: The Little Things Make a Difference

Humanity is now the dubious owner of a long laundry list of environment issues that we have to solve. Obviously  some are more pressing than others. Despite this, we tend to go about our daily business as if nothing is wrong. Why is that?

Do you ever stop to ask yourself why nothing ever really gets done.

On the other end of the spectrum, has there ever been a time when someone looked at you and commented about how lucky you were. Meanwhile you are thinking “What I accomplished was not a matter of luck but the result of years of hard work.”

So, what do these two scenarios have in common? If you want to know, then join me for E259, Habits for Sustainable Success: The Little Things Make the Difference. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E259

The bottom line for this episode is that I want to give you a way that you can develop a more sustainable lifestyle one step at a time. But, that is also connected to how we go about accomplishing so many other good things in our lives. But, I am going to give you a spoiler alert. It is not difficult. It is not brain surgery. It just requires a few simple things, most of which are largely overlooked.  So, stick around and find out how you can accomplish almost anything including a sustainable life that is incredibly planet friendly.

Good News Story of the Week

This weeks good new story is about recycling success. The country of Romania has reached an astounding 94% recycling rate for plastic, glass, and metal containers in just two years.

This was accomplished with a simple deposit return system.

Each retailer that sells products which come in recyclable containers are given a tax credit for the cost of installing return infrastructure. Then, the customer, when they buy each item, are charged a deposit that is returned with a few cents extra when they return the items.

Even though the total waste generated by Romania still remains high, they are making progress. Between 2011 and 2021, recycling rates stayed around 11%. Now surveys show that nearly 90% of Romanians have used the new recycling system.

Once again I find it astounding that such a small country has show amazing progress when my home country, the United States, still lags way behind in getting sustainable systems in place.

Now let’s move onto this weeks episode.

Now you may think I am wandering off course here but I first want to mention something first about the use of fossil fuels.   

Although the use of coal as an energy source dates back almost 3,600 years, the widespread use of this fossil fuel did not start until around 1760, which was the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Over time, various scientists began to realize the detrimental affects of burning fossil fuels, in particular the warming of the planet.

Since we have largely ignored this problem, we are now seeing the effects of climate change. Humanity has now passed several planetary boundaries. What this means is that we are continuously pushing the limits of what our planet can absorb and still recover without reaching a point of no return. As unfortunate as that is, we did not get ourselves into this situation over night. It has been the result of repeatedly ignoring the consequences of our actions.

Let’s look at a different scenario. Approximately 45% of Americans cannot comfortably manage their debt. About 88% of those say they have regrets about their spending. In other words, this is not something that happened overnight. It was the result of repeatedly making bad choices.

Now these two topics may seem unrelated but they do have something in common. Both are the result of long-term repeated poor decisions. We have known about climate change for at least 100 years. The average American did not get into financial trouble overnight. It was the result of months to years of making poor decisions.

But sometimes I think many of us look a challenging problems and think it has reached the point of no return.

For example, in order to reverse the damage

we have done to our planet, it will require monumental changes to our lifestyles, buying habits, what we eat, drink, wear, and how much we drive, not to mention numerous other things.

In order to get out from under a tremendous debt load, it will require some fundamental changes to how you manage your financial life. I know this because it took me 5 years of making some hard choices to get completely out of debt.

In both of these examples in order to correct the problem, fundamental long-term changes have to be made. That was the foundation of my getting myself out of debt. That is the foundation of protecting yourself from certain chronic disease and staying better health.

But, guess what? The best way to make big changes is to form new healthy habits one small thing at a time. That is how we will save the planet. That is how we could all get out of debt. That is how we could all live a simple, healthy, sustainable life.

If we jump with both feet and try to accomplish too much at once, we get overwhelmed, loose interest and never stick to what we were trying to accomplish. It does not help of course that we live in a society and culture where distraction is the norm. Accomplishing something positive for ourselves seems to be increasingly difficult.

Spoiler Alert

But, here’s the spoiler alert. More often than not it is the small little things that make the difference. It is the day-to-day habits that will eventually make a huge difference and transform your life. But, the opposite is also true. It is the day-to-day habits that can also have a long-term detrimental effect on your life and on the planet.

For example:

You may not think much about throwing away a  single use plastic water bottle. But when that happens 60 million times per day in the US alone it makes a difference.

You may not think much about allowing an apple to go to waste. But half a billion apples get thrown away every single year.

If we all reduced our driving by 10%, it would save 110 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, which is the same as taking 28 coal fired power plants off line for an entire year.

Personal example:

Now, allow me to give you a very personal example of how the little things make a difference. Years ago someone suggested to me that the best way to save money was to never balance your checkbook. I of course thought this was an absurd suggestion so I ask for an explanation.

This person said to me that whenever I made a purchase or any kind, round up that figure in my checkbook register. So, if you make a purchase for $5.10 then round up to $6. Or if you make a purchase for $7.60 round up to $10. Even though I thought this was ridiculous I did it anyway. Eight years later I had managed to save enough money to buy a second home.

Now, if you think this is ridiculous, let’s look at another example. Whenever you go to a business to purchase something during the check out process it is common place for them to ask you if you want to round up to the next highest dollar in order to donate to a charity. More often than not that results in you donating a small amount of change. It is a seemingly insignificant amount of money.

There is a local hardware and lumber yard close to where I live that does this and they donate to the local children’s hospital. Over the course of the year, they donate tens of thousands of dollars just from collecting donations that are simple spare change.

It’s the little things that make a difference.

More often than not, it is not the magnificent break throughs but the small little things we do day-to-day that over time produce great success and result in great change. And this is exactly the same process that is needed to live a more sustainable and regenerative life that will literally save our planet.

There is no doubt that we have a monumental task when it comes to saving our planet.  Solving financial issue can also pose extensive challenges as well as doing what it takes to correct habits such as substance abuse.  When most people think of these things they alway have the impression that it takes incredible will power. But, in so many respects it is not about will power. It is about building healthy daily habits.

The best way to build healthy habits is design an environment and system in your life that makes the right choices easy, automatic, and repeatable. The “best way” combines psychology, behavior science, and a practical structure that is easy to implement.

What I want to do is give you a simple formula for building healthy, daily habits. Remember, it’s not about solving all your problems or challenges all it once. It’s about taking one step at a time.

🌱 THE 6-STEP FORMULA FOR BUILDING HEALTHY DAILY HABITS

1. Start Tiny (Smaller Than You Think)

Most people fail because they start too big.

Tiny habits that build momentum are small, consistent actions that, when repeated, create a positive domino effect leading to significant long-term results. These habits by nature are so easy they are nearly impossible to fail, which helps establish consistency and triggers the brain's reward system through dopamine release, reinforcing the behavior. Over time, these micro-actions accumulate, building self-efficacy and creating a foundation for larger achievements

Examples of “tiny” habits that build momentum:

•  If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This helps to overcome procrastination.
•  Drink a glass of water each morning. This improves your hydration and increasing your energy level
•  Read one page of a book before going to bed. This gradually improves your knowledge level and even improves your sleep quality
•  Doing one push up before brushing your teeth. This tiny action often leads to a full workout which improves your physical fitness and discipline.

Small habits such as these help to bypass resistance, build confidence, and make consistency easy.

2. Anchor the Habit to Something You Already Do

This is called habit stacking.

To anchor a new habit to an existing routine, first identify a reliable, daily behavior you already perform consistently, such as brushing your teeth, making coffee, or logging into your computer. Next, use the "when-then" formula to link the new habit directly to the existing one—for example, "When I finish brushing my teeth, then I will do one push up" or "When I sit down at my desk, then I will write my top three priorities”, “After I start coffee, I will fill up my water bottle for the day.”  

This method leverages established neural pathways, reducing friction and making the new behavior easier to adopt by turning it into a natural extension of an automatic routine. Start small and specific, and reinforce the habit with a quick reward or acknowledgment to strengthen the connection over time

By doing this your existing routines act as “triggers” for new habits and this increases your likelihood of sticking with it.

3. Make the Habit Easy, Not Perfect

To design your environment to support a new healthy habit, focus on making the desired behavior easy and visible while making unhealthy alternatives more difficult. The most effective strategy is to reduce the number of steps required to perform the good habit and increase the steps for the bad one, ensuring the best choices become the path of least resistance. This approach aligns with the psychological principle that your environment shapes behavior more than willpower alone.

Make healthy choices frictionless:

•  Put fruit on the counter; hide junk food.
•  Lay out workout clothes the night before.
•  Keep a water bottle on your desk.
•  Use apps or alarms as gentle reminders.

Your environment shapes your behavior far more than motivation or will power

4. Remove the Obstacles

Habits fail when they require too many steps. This usually involves distance, time, and effort required to perform a new habit. All of these things produce more “friction” to creating a new behavior. For example:

Reduce friction:

•  If you want to read more → keep books next to your bed.
•  If you want to exercise → choose workouts you can do at home.
•  If you want to cook healthier → meal-prep ingredients ahead of time.

Make the new, healthy habit the path of least resistance.

5. Tie the Habit to Your Identity

To tie a habit to your identity, begin by clearly defining the type of person you want to become, such as "a healthy eater" or “to live a waste free lifestyle”.The habit you want to identify with should align with your core values and beliefs of course. You reinforce it by consistently performing actions that reflect that identity.

For example, choosing to eat more vegetables and fruits every day or making every effort to reduce your food waste. Over time, these repeated behaviors solidify your self-image, making the habit feel natural and automatic because it aligns with who you believe you are and the type of person you want to be. The strongest habits come from the belief:

“I am the type of person who strives to live a zero waste lifestyle”

Examples:

•  “I am a person who takes care of my body.”
•  “I am someone who keeps my word to myself.”
•  “I am a person who volunteers my time to non-profits”

Identity-based habits create internal consistency—your mind wants to act like the kind of person you believe you are.

6. Celebrate Small Wins (Seriously)

You need to celebrate small wins because your brain learns through reward.

When you finish a habit—even a tiny one—add a micro-celebration:

•  Smile
•  Say “yes!”
•  Check it off a list
•  Give yourself a small mental reward

This reinforces the behavior neurologically, making it more automatic. Often times after I have had a good, productive day on the homestead, I make myself a cup of my favorite specialty coffee as a reward.

🧩 BONUS: THE 4 HABIT PITFALLS TO AVOID

1.  Perfectionism: Missing once doesn’t matter—missing twice starts a pattern. Just remember you don’t have to be perfect. Think of it this way. We don’t need a few people living a perfect waste free life. We need millions of people trying to live a waste free life.
2.  Stacking too many habits at once: Big things happen when you make one small change at a time. Do not over load yourself. Build one or two new habits at a time.
3.  Relying on motivation: As you well know our motivation tends to fluctuate. Systems you put in place to ensure your success is what will make the difference.
4.  Choosing habits you don’t actually care about: They won’t stick.

🔁 THE HABIT LOOP YOU WANT TO MASTER

Every habit runs on this loop:

Cue → Routine → Reward

Design each step intentionally:

•  Cue: Trigger it with a place, time, or existing routine.
•  Routine: Make it simple and repeatable.
•  Reward: Celebrate or track progress.

Now to close out this episode, I just want to emphasize that if you want to make some positive changes you need to

-Stop procrastinating

-Stop seeking perfection

-Let go of your fear of failure

-Stop comparing yourself to other.

What you need to do is get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy diet, get regular exercise, and focus on the things that really matter to you. All of that can change starting with building new habits one at a time.

Just remember, from the tiny acorn grows the mighty oak and the great Sequoia starts out as a tiny sprout. Likewise, we can change the world starting with tiny new habits.

John C Maxwell, an American author and pastor once said, “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.

Now to close out this episode, I want to let you know that if you download the transcript I have two challenges outlined for you. The 30 day healthy habit challenge and the 30 day sustainable living challenge. Each of these contact quick, simple tasks that you can perform each day. It will help you to start living a healthier, more sustainable life.

Enjoy and I will see you soon.

🌱 30-Day Healthy Habit Challenge

A daily reset for mind, body, and environment

WEEK 1 — Foundation: Hydration, Movement, and Calm

Day 1: Add one extra glass of water
Hydration improves digestion, brain function, and inflammation.

Day 2: 10-minute morning stretch
Wakes up joints, reduces stiffness, boosts circulation.

Day 3: No phone for the first 30 minutes of the day
Reduces cortisol spike and mental clutter.

Day 4: Eat one anti-inflammatory food
Examples: berries, leafy greens, walnuts, turmeric, ginger.

Day 5: 15-minute walk outside
Sunlight regulates sleep, improves mood, and lowers inflammation.

Day 6: Swap one processed snack for a whole-food option
Nuts, fruit, carrots + hummus, plain yogurt, etc.

Day 7: Early bedtime (30 minutes earlier)
Sleep is the body's most powerful repair mechanism.

WEEK 2 — Nutrition & Environment Reset

Day 8: Make one meal 100% plant-based
Supports gut health, reduces inflammatory load.

Day 9: Avoid seed oils for the day
Use olive, avocado, or coconut oil for cooking.

Day 10: Add herbs/spices to every meal
Anti-inflammatory powerhouses: turmeric, rosemary, oregano, cumin, cinnamon.

Day 11: Declutter one small area
A drawer, a shelf. Reduces mental load.

Day 12: Do a 5-minute breathing session
Box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing for stress reduction.

Day 13: Eat at least 25g of fiber
Great for microbiome + stabilizing blood sugar.

Day 14: No sugar for the day
Helps inflammation and energy stability.

WEEK 3 — Movement, Strength, and Mental Clarity

Day 15: 20-minute strength session
Bodyweight works: squats, pushups, planks, lunges.

Day 16: Replace one drink with herbal tea
Ginger, peppermint, chamomile, hibiscus for anti-inflammatory benefits.

Day 17: Digital sunset (no screens 1 hour before bed)
Supports melatonin and sleep quality.

Day 18: Try a new vegetable or fruit
Variety improves nutrient diversity.

Day 19: 10-minute core or posture routine
Good posture reduces chronic pain and inflammation.

Day 20: Spend 20 minutes in nature
Improves immunity, lowers stress hormones, boosts mood.

Day 21: Practice grateful journaling (3 things)
Improves emotional regulation and resilience.

WEEK 4 — Deepening & Integrating

Day 22: Meal prep one healthy meal or snack
Helps reduce processed foods and food waste.

Day 23: Reduce omega-6 load for the day
Avoid soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, vegetable “blends.”

Day 24: Cold exposure or contrast shower
Supports metabolism, immune function, and stress tolerance.

Day 25: Schedule a “no-rush” day or half-day
Move slower, rest more, reduce adrenaline.

Day 26: 30 minutes of reading (no screens)
Nourish your mind without digital overwhelm.

Day 27: Add fermented food to one meal
Kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, miso → microbiome support.

Day 28: Declutter digital space
Delete 20 files, unsubscribe from 3 emails, clear apps.

WEEK 5 — Integration & Reflection

Day 29: Make a fully anti-inflammatory meal
Include: greens, lean protein/legumes, healthy fat, herbs, colorful veggies.

Day 30: Reflection + Next Steps
Write:

•  3 habits that were easiest
•  3 that had the biggest impact
•  1–2 habits you’ll keep daily or weekly

🌍 30-Day Sustainable Living Challenge

A daily journey toward reducing waste, saving resources, and living in harmony with the planet.

WEEK 1 — Awareness & Simple Swaps

Goal: Build a foundation by replacing daily habits with easy, sustainable alternatives.

Day 1 – Audit Your Waste for 24 Hours

Track what you throw away. Awareness reveals your biggest impact areas.

Day 2 – Refuse Single-Use Plastics Today

Say no to straws, bags, disposable cups, cutlery, and unnecessary packaging.

Day 3 – Carry a Reusable Kit

Assemble: water bottle, travel mug, utensils, cloth napkin, tote bag.

Day 4 – Do a Home Energy Scan

Turn off unused lights, unplug chargers, find “energy vampires.”

Day 5 – Replace One Product with a Sustainable Alternative

Examples: bar soap, bamboo toothbrush, refillable cleaner, beeswax wrap.

Day 6 – Walk, Bike, or Carpool for One Errand

Reduces emissions and builds healthier routines.

Day 7 – Cook a Zero-Waste Meal

Use items close to expiration, leftover veggies, or freezer finds.

WEEK 2 — Reduce, Reuse, Repair

Goal: Strengthen resourcefulness, creativity, and waste reduction.

Day 8 – Start a “Use What You Have” Rule

Before buying anything new, check if you can borrow, repair, or repurpose.

Day 9 – Declutter Responsibly

Sort one space (closet, bathroom, pantry) and donate or repurpose items rather than trashing.

Day 10 – Repair One Item

Mend clothing, fix a small appliance, sharpen tools, tighten screws.

Day 11 – Repurpose Food Scraps

Make broth from veggie scraps, regrow lettuce or green onions, make citrus peel cleaner.

Day 12 – Swap Paper Towels for Cloth

Use old T-shirts as rags or buy reusable microfiber/cloth towels.

Day 13 – Set Up Recycling & Composting Systems

Create labeled bins; look up what’s accepted locally.

Day 14 – Buy Nothing Day

Practice mindful consumption and reset impulse spending.

WEEK 3 — Food Sustainability & Home Efficiency

Goal: Reduce food waste, cut energy usage, and support sustainable food systems.

Day 15 – Plan a Week of Meals

Use existing pantry, fridge, and freezer ingredients first.

Day 16 – Shop with a Zero-Waste Mindset

Buy produce loose, choose bulk items, avoid plastic-heavy products.

Day 17 – Eat a Plant-Based Meal

Lower carbon footprint, reduce water use, improve health.

Day 18 – Learn Your Local Food System

Research farmers markets, CSAs, food co-ops, gleaning programs.

Day 19 – Adjust Your Home Temperature by 1–2 Degrees

Small thermostat changes save energy over time.

Day 20 – Wash Clothes on Cold & Air-Dry

Protects fabric, saves energy, and reduces household emissions.

Day 21 – Conduct a Water-Saving Check

Fix small leaks, shorten showers, use a bowl to rinse produce, run full loads.

WEEK 4 — Community, Advocacy, and Long-Term Habits

Goal: Connect your personal actions to broader systemic change.

Day 22 – Support a Sustainable Business

Choose local, ethical, refillable, fair-trade, or low-waste merchants.

Day 23 – Share Sustainable Living with Someone

Teach a friend, post your progress, or give away a sustainable starter item.

Day 24 – Reduce Meat Consumption for the Day

Livestock is a major source of emissions; this habit has big planetary benefits.

Day 25 – Do a Nature Connection Activity

Walk in a park, plant a tree, visit water or forest areas, observe wildlife.

Day 26 – Switch to Renewable Energy Sources (Even Partially)

Sign up for community solar or green energy through your utility if available.

Day 27 – Advocate for Change

Write to a local official, school, or business urging sustainable practices (recycling bins, composting, clean energy, food donation policies).

Day 28 – Start a Long-Term Sustainable Project

Examples:

•  Backyard compost
•  Rainwater collection
•  Pollinator garden
•  Growing vegetables or herbs
•  Home energy efficiency upgrades

Day 29 – Create a “Low-Waste Emergency Kit”

Include: reusable bag, utensils, cloth napkin, containers, water bottle.

Day 30 – Reflect & Renew Your Commitment

Write:

•  Which habits felt natural?
•  Which had the biggest environmental impact?
•  What changes will you adopt permanently?

Celebrate the progress—small steps add up to a massive cumulative impact.