Inevitably, the new year brings talk of resolutions, change and new beginnings, but most of us have struggled through enough failed declarations of goals, motivations and hopes to know that it’s far easier said than done.

So when Jenae Hackensmith and I at the Herald started talking over fitness and health goals for 2016 — begrudgingly, I’ll classify them as resolutions — I was hesitant at first.

But since we each already work out, I wanted to see if I could get more bang for my fitness buck. Not to mention I still had some lingering motivation stored up from talking to folks at IBI Data, Mayo Clinic Heath System and around town for a few Austin Living stories on workplace wellness that just printed in our January-February edition, which is out now.

When I mulled over our options, I recalled a lesson from my early days of post-college journalism. Writing for the Albert Lea Tribune, I covered a few stories on the city’s status as a Blue Zones community.

In short, Blue Zones aimed to copy the tricks and secrets of communities and cultures found to live the longest and healthiest lives. After neglecting my health and packing on unwanted pounds during my college studies, the lessons quietly and almost subconsciously stuck.

Drastic changes, many Blue Zones leaders argued, failed miserably. What worked was simple changes to make healthy choices easy. You trick yourself into choosing healthy food. You empty the candy dish that’s on your desk or by the couch — or you just hide it. You put fruit and veggies in spots where it’s easy, convenient and you see them before you see junk food. It also called to eat more frequent, small meals and only eating until you’re about 80 percent full.

For me, that also meant willing myself to make my workouts habitual and enjoyable.

So when we talked about our “resolutions,” Jenae and I didn’t settle on any major lifestyle changes. We opted to simply target problem areas: snacking, unfulfilling junk food, seconds and drinking calories (sorry, Caribou lattes: I love you, but we need to take things a bit slower).

Week one has been successful and didn’t feel like a pain of a change — for me at least. That supports my belief that the simple changes are often more effective than the extreme ones.

Oh, and by writing this, I’m publicly guilting Jenae — and myself — into following the plan. You’re welcome, Jenae.