New Year, New Me: How to Make Your Resolutions Stick

A month into the new year, many people naturally start checking in with themselves: How are my goals going? New Year’s resolutions often begin with a burst of motivation, in part because New Year’s Day feels like a fresh start. Research shows that these kinds of “temporal milestones” can make change feel more possible and meaningful (Oscarsson et al., 2020).

That early motivation, however, can be hard to sustain. Studies have found that while many people stick with their resolutions in the first few weeks, follow-through tends to decrease over time (Norcross & Vangarelli, 1988). In a study following about 200 individuals with New Year's resolutions, 1 week into the new year, about 70% maintained their resolutions and this percentage continues to decrease, with only 40% of individuals maintaining their resolutions after 6 months (Norcross & Vangarelli, 1988).

Failed resolutions are a common phenomenon, but what are the common pitfalls of these failed resolutions?

Common Pitfalls and Finding Solutions

Resolutions are too vague or too broad.
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• When you do not have a concrete end goal within a specific time frame, resolutions can get lost in time.
  
• Instead of setting the resolution to ‘eat healthier,’ look up specific recipes that you can try each week, plan your meals in advance, and create a shopping list to ensure you have all the necessary ingredients on hand. This way, you have a clear plan and can track your progress more effectively.

All-or-nothing mindset.
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• If you view your goals as either a complete, perfect success or an utter failure, with no in-between, you risk dropping them altogether.
• To get around this mindset, try to challenge the notion that outcomes must be absolute. Remind yourself that partial successes still hold value. Ask yourself, "What did I learn from this experience?" or "How can I adapt moving forward?"
• If you live with OCD, this pattern may feel particularly familiar. OCD thrives on extremes. A helpful question to ask: "Is this my values speaking, or is this OCD demanding perfection?"

Reliance on external pressure rather than internal motivation.

• Sometimes, we create a resolution because we feel there is an expectation that we do so. When you lack the internal motivation to push through and achieve your goals, they become harder to stick to. Internal readiness to change is a positive predictor of outcomes for those who make resolutions, indicating that those who are ready to make these changes are more likely to succeed (Oscarsson et al., 2020).

Unrealistic expectations.
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• When we set a goal, we often want to see results immediately. However, these expectations are unrealistic, as it does not give us the opportunity to see real change over time.

Now that we have identified these difficulties in resolutions, how can we build better resolutions that will stick?

Building a Resolution

Resolutions that will stick require specific, realistic goals that adhere to your personal capabilities. The best way to build a resolution is to use the SMART goal
framework. SMART stands for: (S) Specific, (M) Measurable, (A) Achievable, (R) Relevant, and (T) Time-Bound.

Here is an example of a SMART goal:

• (S) Specific: I want to read 15 books
• (M) Measurable: I will accomplish this by reading one chapter a day before I go to bed
• (A) Achievable: It is a light commitment that will not interfere with my current schedule
• (R) Relevant: This will improve my ability to focus and retain knowledge
• (T) Time-Bound: I will achieve this over the course of the next 12 months

Below are further examples of resolutions, grouped into a few categories. These do not have to directly apply to you, but could give you some ideas for your own SMART goals!

Mental Health & Wellness

Practice 5 minutes of guided meditation before going to sleep 4 nights/week. Attend therapy sessions twice monthly. Limit social media scrolling to 30 minutes/day.

Physical Health

• Walk for 20 minutes during lunch 3 times per week.
• Meal-prep dinners for my workweek every Sunday.
• Go to the gym 2x/week before work.

Relationships

• Aim to meet and socialize with friends once a month.
• Schedule regular check - ins with loved ones Indulge in each other's hobbies

Personal Growth

• Journal once a week about 3 things I am grateful for
• Indulge in a new hobby, such as gardening or learning a new language, 1x/week. 
• Do something out of my comfort zone, such as going to the movie theater alone.

Productivity

• Set aside 30 minutes/day to work on lingering tasks at my desk.
• Wash the dishes right after dinner on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
• Have a specific day every week to clean and declutter my space for a weekly reset.

To start building a SMART resolution, evaluate your personal values, schedule, and physical and mental capabilities. By evaluating these areas, you can structure your goals in a realistic, achievable way. Understanding your personal values clarifies what truly matters to you, so you are not setting goals based on pressure from others. Evaluating your schedule helps you see how much time you can realistically commit to your desired goal. Finally, considering your physical and mental capabilities allows you to set goals that both challenge you and protect you from early-resolution burnout.

Resolutions are meant to help us grow, rather than aim for perfection. As the year goes on, life can take unexpected twists and turns that may get in the way of our goals. By facing these challenges, we learn to adjust and prioritize our personal goals in different ways, even if it is not exactly the same as our original resolutions. Resolutions are meant to be specific to the individual, as they highlight your values and goals that pertain to your life. When creating your resolution, take a moment to connect with yourself and your values to craft the SMART resolution that best suits you.

What Next?

Now that you have read up on some ways to better your resolutions: what should you do next? The best way to make your new resolutions a reality is to start with an actionable first step\!

Take a moment to think about what resolutions best suit you and write them down. Keeping your resolutions in the forefront of your mind is the best way to hold yourself accountable to achieving them. Creating a visual reminder is the best cue to remind yourself of your resolutions, such as a sticky note or a daily reminder on your phone\! When you go out of the way to remind yourself of your resolutions, you will find that they become more entwined with your daily routine.

Resources

If OCD-related patterns — perfectionism, rigid thinking, or anxiety around "getting it right" — consistently interfere with your goals, therapy can help. At Bio-Behavioral Institute, we specialize in evidence-based OCD treatment, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), to help you pursue what matters with more flexibility and less anxiety.

Phone #: (516) 487-7116

Email: info@biobehavioralinstitute.com

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Citations

Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60(10), 2563–2582. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901

Norcross, J. C., & Vangarelli, D. J. (1988). The resolution solution: Longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts. Journal of substance abuse, 1(2), 127-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-3289(88)80016-6

Oscarsson M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Rozental A (2020) A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLoS ONE 15(12): e0234097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234097.

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