Small Steps to Big Change: An Interview with Tom Rath

Want to make 2014 your healthiest year yet, but struggling to come up with a good resolution you can stick to?

This year, rather than reaching for lofty goals, why not turn your attention to the small actions that make up your day—each bite that you eat, the ways you move your body, and how much sleep you get. When you start paying attention, you’ll begin to notice dozens of opportunities for making good choices throughout the day (for example, opting for grilled chicken instead of fried on your salad, or walking to the nearby post office instead of driving). Making small, good choices is much easier (and more quickly rewarding) than struggling to achieve difficult-to-reach ideals, like “lose weight” or “get healthy.”

And before you know it, these small choices will add up to big change, according to Tom Rath, a Gallup Senior Scientist whose new book can help you make better choices with your diet, physical activity, and sleep. Eat Move Sleep is based on years of research and comes chock full of practical tips you can implement into your everyday life. For example, put your healthiest snacks out at eye level or on the counter where you’re more likely to grab them when you’re hungry (p. 31), and for better sleep, don’t hit snooze in the morning (p. 86). “The right choices over time greatly improve your odds of a long and healthy life,” says Rath.

Watch this video interview with Tom Rath to hear about his personal motivation to improve his own wellbeing and learn tips to incorporate into your own life.