change the circumstances

It's easier to change the circumstances of your life than the life itself. That's why we seem so amazed at how we 'change' on a journey or holiday. Then we come back home full of good intentions and slowly the old life reclaims us; not because we were lazy or lacked willpower, simply because it was the right life for the circumstances. Changing these externals is much more powerful than tinkering with the internals.