How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

Have you ever set a New Year’s resolution and given up on it a month later? If so, you’re not alone. New Year's resolutions are goals people set to make their lives better in the upcoming year, but many find them difficult to keep. This article covers 14 simple strategies to help you make your new goals stick with expert tips from life coaches and a clinical psychologist. And if you’re having trouble coming up with a resolution, we’ve listed the most popular goals people set on January 1st. Keep reading to learn more!

How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

Choose 1-2 realistic, meaningful resolutions with very specific, measurable goals that are genuinely important to you. Write your resolutions down, and make a detailed plan with small, easily achievable steps. Track your progress and give yourself rewards for achieving your goals.

Section 1 of 5:

Accomplishing Your New Year’s Resolution

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1
Commit to achieving 1-2 realistic goals to accomplish in the new year. Clinical Psychologist Susan Pazak says, “Oftentimes, we make the goals too difficult or unattainable, so we get into all or nothing or perfect or fail thinking modes and give up.”^{[1]
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Expert Source

Susan Pazak, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Professional Life Coach

Expert Interview. 22 February 2022.} When setting new goals for the year, you don’t have to change everything all at once. In fact, setting too many goals can be overwhelming and actually cause you to give up when you notice how much work you have to do to achieve them.^{[2]
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- Make a list of some of the big things you’d like to change.
- Be very picky and narrow your list down to no more than 2 resolutions.
- Limiting the number of resolutions allows you to really focus on 1 or 2, which makes it more likely you’ll meet your goals.
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Leave previous failed resolutions in the past. If you’ve set a goal in the past and failed, try something new this time around. Choosing a failed goal can be discouraging because you’re constantly reminded that you were unsuccessful the last time you tried. Dwelling on a past failure can make it harder to move forward.^{[3]
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- Reattempting a failed resolution may be setting yourself up for another failure.
- If you really want to revive a failed resolution, use your experience to tweak the goal to make it more achievable.
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3
Choose a resolution that you find meaningful. Try choosing a resolution that inspires you or aligns with your values and interests to help you stay focused and motivated. Life coach Sydney Axelrod recommends, “Get clear on what it is that you actually want from your goals... It's really important to [not just] set goals but also get clear on what's your ‘why’ behind the goal."^{[4]
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Expert Source

Sydney Axelrod
Certified Life Coach

Expert Interview. 30 June 2020.}
- Figure out what you’re passionate about by asking yourself what types of activities you’re naturally drawn to.
- Think about how you would like to contribute to the world or work on your closest, most important relationships.
- Try to come up with resolution that help you grow as a person and get you closer to your ideal self.
4
Understand why you chose your goals. If you choose a goal because you think it will solve an unrelated problem, you may not be as driven to keep at it. Make sure you set challenging goals that directly benefit you. If you want to lose weight to deal with a health issue for yourself, you’ll be more motivated to consistently take the necessary steps to achieve your goal long term.^{[5]
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- For example, don’t set a goal to lose weight to make another person like you more.
- Instead try to get fit because you’ve always want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or go cave diving in Song Hong Caves of Thailand!
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Be as specific as possible with your goals. Vague goals can be harder to achieve because it’s not always clear what success looks like. A general resolution like “save money” or “lose weight” might be a good idea, but it’s hard to know what exact steps to take to get there. ^{[6]
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Research source} Be as concrete as possible when you set your resolution to give yourself an achievable target.
- Use more specific language when you set your goals.
- Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” say, “I want to lose 1 pound a week.”
- This makes it easier to figure out exactly what you have to do to accomplish that goal.
- A specific goal like “Put $50 a week into a savings account” is easy to measure because you know whether you did it or not.
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Write down your resolutions and make a plan with mini-goals. Life Coach Amber Rosenberg says, “Humans, by nature, have a short-term focus and work better with small steps…The positive feedback from small, daily successes will create motivation and—eventually—lead to lasting, balanced change.”^{[7]
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Expert Source

Amber Rosenberg, PCC
Pacific Life Coach

Expert Interview. 26 April 2021.} Once you have a resolution in mind, write it down and break it up into mini-goals. Ask yourself what steps you must take to reach the larger goal.
- Make each mini-goal small and easily achievable, especially at the beginning when it’s harder to get going. Then, ramp up as time goes on.
- Research resources, set dates, and schedule yourself in advance to make sure you have plenty of time dedicated to reaching your goals.
- Get out a calendar and make a plan for when you want to shoot for completing each mini-goal.^{[8]
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  Research source} Then, use that calendar to give yourself reminders to help you stay on track.
- Remember to set a realistic timeframe for your resolution. Making meaningful changes to your life takes time, sometimes even longer than a year.
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Make a chart or log to track your progress. Sometimes, it’s difficult to see that you’re making progress. This is especially important on days when you feel like things aren’t going in the right direction. Rosenberg recommends, “Create a simple chart, diagram or collage that will help you to gauge your progress one day at a time. Simply refer to this tool at the beginning and end of each week and month to review how far you've come.”^{[9]
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Expert Source

Amber Rosenberg, PCC
Pacific Life Coach

Expert Interview. 26 April 2021.} ^{[10]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- Keep a journal devoted to your goal, or look for an app that tracks your progress. On days when you feel like you’re not moving forward, use your log to see how far you’ve come!
- For example, if you’ve set a goal to read 24 books during the year, find an app that helps you keep track of your reading time and the books you’ve finished.
- There are also habit-tracking journals and apps that aren’t associated with a specific goal.
8
Set up your home to make it easy to meet your goals. Think about any obstacles there are to achieving your goal. Then, set up your environment to help you more easily overcome those obstacles. Focus on inconveniences that are relatively simple to overcome, but that might give you an excuse to skip a day.
- For example, if your goal is to head to the gym after work every day, pack your gym clothes and set the bag near the door so all you have to do is pick it up as you head out in the morning.
- If there are any supplies you need to get started, such as paintbrushes and other supplies for a new art class, make sure you have everything before starting.
9
Find a friend to give you support and help you stay accountable. As you work toward your goals, you’ll probably run into a few challenges. Those roadblocks are much easier to overcome if you have a friend to support you on your journey. Accountability is very helpful in keeping resolutions, says Pazak.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Susan Pazak, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Professional Life Coach

Expert Interview. 22 February 2022.} So, a buddy can also help you stay accountable. Plus, if your friend is working toward a similar goal, it might even be fun!^{[12]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- Try looking for a local or online group of people who have the same (or similar) goals for even more help and support.
- A partner who challenges you to be your best can really help you stay motivated.
- If your goal is to run a marathon, find someone who can make it just a block or two farther than you.
- For goals about learning new subjects or skills, find a study buddy who has just a little more experience or knowledge in that area.
10
Give yourself a reward for achieving each mini-goal. Find little ways to treat yourself whenever you meet one of your smaller goals. Try to find rewards that you truly enjoy, and then use them to give yourself a pat on the back for all your hard work. Creating a reward system that celebrates each step along the way helps you stay motivated and excited as you take each new step toward your goal.^{[13]
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- Some rewards could be a long, hot bubble bath, a shopping trip, a scoop of your favorite ice cream, or watching an episode of your favorite TV show.
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Be flexible and remember that change is a process. “On average, it takes 21 days to create a new habit. When you first get started, it will take more time and energy to focus on your daily goal,” says Rosenberg.^{[14]
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Expert Source

Amber Rosenberg, PCC
Pacific Life Coach

Expert Interview. 26 April 2021.} As you work toward your resolution, your goal may change. If you’ve experienced a setback or it’s taking longer than you initially thought it would to reach your mini-goals, don’t sweat it! Use that information to re-evaluate your goals and adjust your plan to get back on track.
- It’s also possible that you’ll make progress faster than you expected. If that’s the case, you may want to make your goals and mini-goals more challenging.
- For example, you may go from wanting to run a 5k to wanting to run a half marathon.
- No matter how quickly you’re progressing, be kind to yourself. It’s completely normal to have a few missteps along the way. Don’t let it discourage you, and don’t give up!

Section 2 of 5:

Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions

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The most common resolutions involve improving your health. About 30% of Americans report making at least one resolution. Most of those people make resolutions that have to do with health, exercise, or diet.^{[15]
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Pew Research Center
Nonpartisan thinktank conducting research and providing information on public opinion, demographic trends, and social trends

Go to source} Rosenberg says, “At the beginning of each year, I tend to hear from many folks that they want to lose weight, get fit and create more organization.”^{[16]
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Expert Source

Amber Rosenberg, PCC
Pacific Life Coach

Expert Interview. 26 April 2021.} So if you’re looking to make some changes to better your health, you won’t be alone. Popular New Year’s resolutions include:
- Losing weight
- Exercising more
- Quitting smoking or vaping
- Managing stress
- Prioritizing mental health
- Paying down debts
- Making a budget & saving money
- Spending more time with friends & family
- Expressing appreciation regularly
- Learning something new
- Reading more
- Getting a new job
- Creating a better work-life balance
- Getting more organized
- Traveling more
- Volunteering

Section 3 of 5:

Why Make New Year’s Resolutions?

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People want to make a fresh start in the new year. People make New Year's resolutions because there's something special about the start of a new year, and science seems to back that up! The “fresh start effect” suggests that January 1st makes people feel excited about starting with a clean slate.^{[17]
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- Starting fresh in the new year helps boost motivation and make big life changes feel more achievable.
- There’s also something powerful about making personal promises to better your life alongside millions of other people worldwide.
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People have made New Year’s resolutions for over 4,000 years. There are records of the ancient Babylonians resolving to pay debts and return borrowed farm equipment during Akitu, their 12-day New Year festival. The Romans picked up this tradition from the Babylonians, but they celebrated it by offering sacrifices to the god Janus and making promises to behave better during the new year.^{[18]
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- Medieval knights would place their hands on a peacock to renew their vows of chivalry at New Year’s.
- In the U.S. in the early 1900s, resolutions tended to be more religious, with people vowing to have stronger morals and a better work ethic.

Section 4 of 5:

Do New Year’s resolutions work?

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New Year’s resolutions work…even when you don’t keep them. Most people stick to at least some of their resolutions. In fact, one survey found that 35% of people stuck to all of their goals, and 50% kept some of their goals.^{[19]
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Research source} Even when you don’t keep your New Year’s resolutions, chances are you’ll make some improvements in your life. This is why it’s so important to choose your goals wisely and frame them in the right way.
- Picking up a new habit is often easier than dropping an old one.
- Instead of saying you want to cut down on social media, set a goal to read at least 10 pages of a book daily.
- You may find that adding to your schedule means there’s less time for social media.

Section 5 of 5:

Setting SMART Goals

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Use SMART goals to create realistic, achievable goals. SMART is an acronym that stands for the five qualities your goals should have. They should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.^{[20]
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Research source} The SMART method is one of the most popular and effective goal-setting frameworks.
- S – Specific (or Significant): This means your goals include systems for achieving them. You have specific actions that can be carried out that work toward your larger goal.
- M – Measurable: This means that the changes you see once the goal is reached are noticeable. You’ll feel better because you’re healthier, your family or social life has improved, etc.
- A – Attainable: This means the goal is realistic and can be reached. There are benefits to aiming high, but don't aim so high that you become disappointed and discouraged if you can't reach the goal you set.
- R – Relevant (or Rewarding): This means there’s a real need for your goal. You’ve been unsatisfied with a certain area of your life for some time, and you have a strong motivation to want to change it.
- T – Trackable: This is similar to measurable, but it allows you to assess your progress throughout the process.

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How can I keep my new year's resolution?

Leah Morris
Life Coach
Leah Morris is a Life and Relationship Transition coach and the owner of Life Remade, a holistic personal coaching service. With over three years as a professional coach, she specializes in guiding people as they move through both short-term and long-term life transitions. Leah holds a BA in Organizational Communication from California State University, Chico and is a certified Transformational Life Coach through the Southwest Institute for Healing Arts.

Leah Morris

Life Coach

Expert Answer

It helps to break your larger goals into pieces that are more manageable. For example, if you want to write a book, you may break it down by chapters.

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Research your goals. Be sure you understand how to schedule your system to accomplish what you want to accomplish.

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Consider setting up a little competition with your family or friends to keep focused on a tough goal. Should the loser buy a healthy lunch? Maybe take a family vacation to a great beach if everyone hits their goals by July.

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Track the results in your diary so that you get to know you improved and feel to hard work until you reach your goal.

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