Most New Year’s resolutions are fundamentally about habit-forming. When you consider some of the most popular resolutions—saving money, lowering stress, exercising more—you’ll find that each one is actually an umbrella term for many kinds of sustained behavioral change.
Creating new habits can make the difference between a flash-in-the-pan trend and a lifelong practice. Roughly 80% of people struggle to stick to their New Year’s resolutions for longer than six weeks in part because they focus too much on the desired outcome, and not enough on the day-to-day progress.
Instead, try out the much more sustainable and effective method of gradual self-improvement. Once you’ve settled on a positive goal for your New Year’s resolution, use this guide to help you achieve it through the power of habit.
Plan ahead
This year, pair your New Year’s resolution with an achievable plan of action. This will help you take that all-important first step, and provide a sense of structure that will help you stay on track through the normal ups and downs of the year.
You can do yourself a huge favor early on by acquiring any equipment you need. For example, if you’re pursuing fitness goals by resolving to run at least five miles per week, don’t wait too long to secure things like a good pair of running shoes, comfortable athletic clothing, and an arm strap to hold your phone.
Set measurable milestones
A major reason why people stumble when trying to make sustained positive changes in life is because their goals are either too big or too vague. For example, if your New Year’s resolution centers on learning a new language, you shouldn’t expect to be fluent by the end of the year. That would just be setting yourself up for failure.
Instead, take a leaf out of the book of Kaizen, a Japanese philosophy dedicated to the power of incremental improvements. Taking the language example again, the Kaizen approach might look something like this:
- Start by committing to just 10 minutes per day of Duolingo in your target language
- Once that routine is settled, add two or three language learning YouTube videos per week
- Find a podcast in your target language and listen daily while walking or doing chores
- When you’ve got the basics down, join a Meetup language exchange for conversation practice
Visualize success
Lots of people find that a visual reminder of what personal success looks like makes it easier to manifest their desires and goals into real action. At the beginning of your journey of positive change, try making a vision board!
Although it doesn’t work like magic, the results of this focused intention-setting can be magical. At its core, vision boarding is a meditative act that helps you become more self-aware, articulating your inner feelings and turning inspiration into accomplishments.
Remember to have fun
Everyone is capable of making improvements in their lives and enjoying themselves at the same time. In fact, keeping things light is essential to sustaining your momentum. If progressing on your New Year’s resolutions just feels like homework, you’re bound to have trouble with motivation. Life is hard enough without putting unnecessary pressure on yourself, so try to find a healthy middle ground of equal parts effort and fun.
Picking up again on the running example, you might consider joining a Meetup group like RUN CBW Wednesday Night Beer Run at Charleston Beer Works. This community of more than 1,000 members is one of many running and beer clubs where members treat themselves to a beer after the finish line. Or you might consider joining a community like the Chicago Hiking, Outdoors, & Social Group, whose 32,000 members find that exercising in nature is its own reward.
Find strength in numbers
According to CNN, some of the most successful ways to stick to a resolution are “making your goals public and asking for accountability,” as well as being “surrounded by supportive friends.”
Having a mutual support system with a community of people who share your goals is the best way to stay on track and keep progressing. Meetup can help you find a group of like-minded folks to support your New Year’s resolutions. You can join an existing group that’s dedicated to a pursuit you’re interested in, or create your own Meetup group and invite people in your area to work on self-improvement together!
Last modified on January 16, 2024
