The new year has just begun, and it’s time to get started on your resolutions. You probably did this last year, and the year before, and the year before that. For a lot of people, it’s the same old process — you feel motivated at the start of the year, you start your New Year’s resolutions, then you lose motivation by the end of maybe week two and drop them. Oh well, better luck next year, right?
If this sounds like you, you might be wondering why it’s so difficult to stick to your New Year’s resolutions throughout the year. I have a reason for you, and a solution.
The reason is that the social media hype surrounding New Year’s resolutions dies down merely weeks into the new year. You might be feeling more motivated at the start of the year because you see friends and influencers talking about their resolutions. As soon as the hype dies, so does your motivation. Another reason is that you might be rushing into it without a set plan. Let’s say your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. You might go to the gym for an hour every day to work out or start a very restrictive diet right off the bat. Instead of easing into a weight loss plan, you start at level 100. This will most likely tire you out and you’ll lose motivation quickly.
You might also be choosing a type of New Year’s resolution because it’s trendy and you’re seeing it all over social media, and not because it’s something you genuinely want to do. You might make daily journaling your New Year’s resolution because you see a ton of people on TikTok doing that, but do you really care about journaling? Maybe not.
So how can you stay motivated and still be following your resolution come next December? It’s simple — by choosing a New Year’s resolution that’s relevant to you and by having a detailed plan to achieve it.
Before the new year, think long and hard about what you want to achieve in the upcoming year. Brainstorm a list of goals that are important to you and choose a few that you think will actually be achievable for you. By “actually achievable,” I mean that you shouldn’t pick something like “quit my job and move to another country” if you’re facing financial hardships.
Once you have your goals selected (only a few — don’t overwhelm yourself in the new year), start by making a detailed plan on how you’re going to try to achieve those goals. Let’s use the weight loss example again. Maybe you want to start walking every day for 10 minutes, and you gradually increase the time by five minutes each week. Or maybe you’ll start going to the gym twice a week, and you slowly build it into your routine, until you’re there five days a week. If you want to start doing a specific type of workout — let’s say Pilates — you start out with an easy, beginner-friendly workout class and gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your workouts.
The key word here is gradually. If you want to achieve your New Year’s resolutions without immediately burning out, you need to start slow. Goals aren’t achieved overnight. They take time. It’s also important to remember that it’s never too late to start your resolution! Even if it’s a few months into 2025, don’t feel discouraged! You’ve got this! And if you follow this simple solution, you might find it a lot easier to stick to your New Year’s resolutions!
