Now is the time for New Years’ resolutions. Most of us are filled with hope for the new year and bite off more than we can chew in an attempt to be a better person. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious, but this cycle tends to end in failure.

Rather than over-reaching, I would suggest you make a more reasonable resolution. With easily achieved success comes a positive feedback loop that allows you to gradually meet your more ambitious goals.

So, if you have not done so yet, I suggest you make a commitment to replace one trip by car a week that is a mile or less in length. By doing so, you will be part of the 1 Mile Solution suggested by Carbon Trace. 

I encourage you to read the linked article, but here’s a brief overview of the plan. Get out a map and draw a circle that is a one mile radius around your house. This is a distance that can be comfortably covered in 20 minutes by walking and 5-6 minutes by bike. Now, think about any errands you do in the week that are within this radius. Pick at least one that you do by car and do it by walking or biking instead. 

What good will this do? It turns out a lot. The Sierra Club says that over 1/4 of all trips Americans make each year are less than a mile. Professor Chandra Bhat at the University of Texas Center for Transportation Research found that 1/3 of greenhouse gases are produced by transportation. Since car engines burn less efficiently when cold, making short trips pollutes more and costs you more money. Replacing these short trips would have the most immediate impact on pollution.

So, you think you can handle one mile a week? Most recreational cyclists consider that barely a warmup. If you can replace one short drive a week, you can probably replace a lot more, and there’s where the positive feedback loop comes in. Once you’ve experienced how good you feel riding instead of driving, you’ll start finding excuses to take the bike and leave the four wheeler in the garage.

This is a resolution almost anyone can handle, and if you need further help finding the right bike or getting into commuting by bike check out our Getting Started series. Good luck!