Like many others, I’m entering this new year — and new decade — with a heady list of goals and resolutions.

However, along with our typical business goals, health goals, and personal goals, there’s one resolution I think we could all benefit from making.

What if we all resolved to treat each other with just a little more kindness?

In light of how this past decade has come to an end with politics dividing us across the world, opinions growing more entrenched and extreme, and those opinions (often weaponized) being easier than ever to share anonymously, even a marginal increase in kindness from each of us would be a breath of fresh air.

It doesn’t have to be giving up your weekends to volunteer, donating money to charities and organizations, or even the classic act of holding open the door for an old lady at the grocery store.

I’d argue these options are easy ways to make yourself feel good while ignoring the impacts our everyday interactions have on others, our communities, and the world.

What might resolving to be kinder look like?

What if instead of arguing with those we disagree with (whether online or off), we started by asking questions and gaining an understanding of their background and why they believe what they believe?

What if instead of focusing on all the seemingly myriad topics that divide us, we remembered that life is not entirely made up of political opinions and dug deeper to find and focus on all the beliefs, goals, causes, affiliations, and histories we share?

What if we diversified our media intake to include opinions from the “other side”?

What if we resolved to remember that everyone has reasons behind their opinions and that while attacks and arguments won’t change many minds, compassion, understanding, and kindness just might?

None of these are easy resolutions, but isn’t that the point of resolutions? If they were easy we would have already done them.

Kindness, like gratitude, restraint, or mindfulness is a practice that strengthens the more you use it. Luckily for us, there are probably hundreds of opportunities every week for us to exercise that muscle.

I’m convinced that when used authentically and generously, kindness is the key to not only making the world a little better as a whole, but to radically transforming our businesses, communities and lives.

Where to start?

A good first step is to just take two breaths the next time you feel your emotions rising up and asking “how can I treat this person with kindness?”

So what do you say? Care to join me in making the next decade a little bit the kinder than the one we just came from?