Make Your (New Year's) Resolutions Count: My Personal Guide to Success
The beginning of a new year is a great time to start changing some behaviors, just like the start of a new month, week, or even day. Sometimes we aim to change too many things at once or lose motivation along the way. Here’s my guide with tips that have helped me achieve my goals—and that might be useful for you too.
Happy 2025! I'm starting this year with a post about New Year's resolutions and my thoughts on what makes a good one. Many of us want to make meaningful changes as the year begins, and I’d like to share my tips for successfully turning resolutions—or any goals—into reality
I’ll also share some of my thoughts on New Year's resolutions and why I believe we can choose to change our lives at any moment, not just at the start of the year. Let’s dive in!
A Guide to (New Year’s) Resolutions
So, here’s a list of 5 points that I believe can help turn New Year’s resolutions (and any other goals) into reality. Whether you’re trying to build a new habit or change a bad one, you might find them useful."
Start with Why
The first step when setting goals is to ask yourself: Why do you want this change? Are you feeling worried, sad, angry, or disappointed because you keep repeating the same behavior? Do you want to feel healthier and more comfortable in your own body?
Find your "why." Each of us has a different reason for change. I believe that starting with a strong purpose or motivation increases your chances of success.
Be Reasonable
Make your goals realistic. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dream big, but it’s often more effective to set smaller, achievable goals that build up to your ultimate dream.
For example, if you want to minimize your screen time, it’s more reasonable to start by reducing it by one hour a day rather than trying to limit yourself to just five minutes of screen time per day.
Be Specific
Specificity is key when making resolutions. If you set a clear, detailed goal—such as going to the gym three times a week and focusing on specific exercises—you’re more likely to stay consistent. On the other hand, vague goals like "start going to the gym" make it harder to create a plan and sustain long-term change.
Visualize Your Success
How would you feel when you finally stop doing something that makes you feel bad about yourself? Or when you see progress in the mirror after months of workouts? Likely, you’d feel happiness, gratitude, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment.
Focus on those feelings and visualize them, especially during moments when you’re tempted to stray from your plan. Let these positive emotions drive you forward.
Build a Support System
Lastly, share your goals with close friends or family members who can help hold you accountable. Better yet, start a new habit together and encourage each other along the way. If you’re working to quit a bad habit, celebrate milestones together. And when setbacks happen, your support system can help you get back on track and keep chasing your goals and dreams.
Are They Overhyped?
As I mentioned at the beginning, the guide I’ve provided can be applied to any goals set at any point in time. However, in our society, I think New Year’s resolutions remain the most common. Most people start making changes and setting goals at the beginning of the new year. Do I think this is bad? Not at all.
The start of a new year feels like the start of a new chapter in our lives. The same can be said for the beginning of a new month, week, or even day. This fresh start gives us motivation and helps us leave the past behind.
That said, many people struggle to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. Change is hard, especially when it comes to breaking bad habits and building new ones. So, the question is: should you wait until next year if you fail at your New Year’s resolutions? Absolutely not.
Failure happens, but if you’re serious about making a change, get back on track right away. That’s why I believe people can change their behavior at any moment.
Making Change at Any Moment
After the initial boost of motivation from a New Year’s resolution, time flies, and it’s natural to lose motivation or forget our reasons for wanting to change. That’s why it’s important, at any moment in life, to pause and reflect: 'Do I have any behaviors that make me feel bad about myself?' or 'Do I want to change something?'.
This is a great example of self-care and self-love. Caring about your life and wanting to feel good is an act of kindness toward yourself. Sometimes, it’s not easy to recognize our mistakes or weaknesses, let alone admit that we need to change. But confronting these truths and taking full responsibility for our lives is transformative.
That’s why I strongly believe—and live by these words—that we can change our lives anytime. You can wake up and decide to be different from the person you were yesterday.
Summary
The New Year’s resolutions continue to be a popular method for setting goals. By starting with a clear "why," setting reasonable and specific goals, visualizing success, and building a support system, achieving meaningful changes becomes more attainable.
Change isn’t limited to the start of a new year. Reflecting on habits and taking responsibility for one’s actions can lead to positive transformations at any moment. Change is always within reach.
I hope this post helps some of you. What goals have you set for yourself? If you’d like to share them, feel free—I’d love to hear about them! Also, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out in the comments below, by email, or on LinkedIn.