Every January ushers in a new year and with it, a desire for a new us. A newfound motivation to do better and to be better. We set ambitious goals, make long lists of everything we want to change about ourselves, and genuinely believe this will be the year that we become the best version of ourselves. But by mid-January, life gets busy, motivation fades, and those ambitious resolutions often go with it.
The problem isn’t a lack of willpower or a fault in yourself- it’s how we approach change. Goals are often too vague, too big, or rooted in pressure rather than what’s actually healthy. Real, lasting change takes time and, when we expect perfection, even the smallest setbacks can cause us to abandon our goals entirely. Fortunately, it’s never too late to reevaluate how we set goals and the mindset we bring to change.
Ensuring Your Goal Is Healthy and Achievable
The foundation of any resolution must be healthy, achievable goals. A goal should support your mental, emotional, or physical wellbeing rather than creating guilt or pressure. If a resolution is based on comparison, “shoulds”, or self-criticism, it will be much harder to sustain. Your goals should fit into your real life, taking into account your schedule, strengths, weaknesses, responsibilities, and motivation. Before committing, ask yourself: Does this goal improve my mental, emotional, or physical wellbeing?, Is this something I genuinely want, or am I feeling pressured into it?, and Can I maintain this on both good and bad days? If your answer is no to any of these questions, it may be worth adjusting your approach.
Why Small Habits Work Better Than Big Resolutions
Big, dramatic changes can feel exciting, but they’re often difficult to maintain long-term. When a goal begins to feel overwhelming, it’s easier to just abandon it altogether. Small habit changes work because they’re realistic. A habit that takes 15 minutes a day is far easier to maintain than one that takes 2 hours, especially on busy or low-energy days. Abandoning the “all-or-nothing” mindset is also crucial. If you miss a few days, practice self-forgiveness and start again rather than viewing it as a failure. When change feels manageable and achievable, it becomes part of your routine instead of a chore.
The Habit Stacking Method
Habit stacking is a simple but powerful way to build new habits by linking them to existing daily routines. After completing one habit that’s already automatic to you, immediately follow it with a new habit you want to build. Because your brain already recognizes the first habit as part of your routine, the second becomes easier to follow through with. Habit stacking also reduces decision fatigue by eliminating the need to think about when to do the new habit.
The formula for habit stacking is simple: After I finish [current habit], I will [new habit]. For best results, choose anchor habits that already happen consistently, as stability increases your chances of success.
Designing Your Environment For Success
When it comes to building habits, your environment plays an important role. Willpower naturally fluctuates but your environment can provide consistent support. Start by making helpful habits more visual and accessible. Lay out your workout clothes to encourage exercise or keep your journal in sight to inspire more use. Small visual cues serve as gentle reminders and reduce barriers between you and your goals.
At the same time, reduce friction in your environment that makes your goals more difficult to maintain. If your goal is to reduce screentime, try charging your phone outside of the bedroom at night. If you want to cook more, keep less ready-made meals in your freezer. These simple changes encourage behavior change without relying solely on self-control.
Focus on Progress, not Perfection
One of the biggest obstacles surrounding New Year’s resolutions is the pressure to be perfect. Missing a day, falling out of a routine, or needing to adjust your goals can feel like failure but in reality, they’re a normal part of change. Progress isn’t linear, and sustainable goals leave room for much-needed flexibility.
Focusing on progress means letting go of all-or-nothing thinking. Doing a smaller version of a habit, showing up inconsistently, or restarting is still better than giving up entirely. It’s also helpful to track progress gently and highlight how often you are showing up. When goals are approached with patience and compassion they become achievable instead of a source of guilt.
Making New Year’s resolutions stick isn’t about discipline or perfection alone - it’s about choosing healthy goals, breaking them into manageable steps, and creating routines that fit your real life. When change feels realistic, it becomes sustainable. Focus on small wins, design your environment to support you, and meet setbacks with compassion. Growth is allowed to rest, evolve, and even restart - every effort forward is something to be celebrated.
