New Year’s Resolutions: How to Make Them Stick

With the pandemic showing no signs of abating, we are all struggling to figure out what happens next. Faced with yet another year riddled with Covid-related anxiety, it seems a little self-repudiating to be making New Year’s resolutions when we don’t know what to expect one day from the next. 

Only 12% of people made New Year’s resolutions last year, and with 2020 being the way it was, it comes as no surprise that only a quarter of those made good on their promises.  Seeing that we are entering another wave of the pandemic, is it time to ditch the age-old tradition of making New Year’s resolutions?

As the year ends, we can’t help but think about all the ups and downs, as well as the areas where we are feeling stuck in our lives. Therefore, New Year’s resolutions are a popular tradition; the process of making new promises brings on a sense of excitement to the monotony; it allows us to believe in second chances and clean slates.

For some, the pressure of accomplishing a list of resolutions in a year filled with so much stress and disappointment is a crushing weight. To those planning to ditch the tradition, I get it. But for those that see the tradition as a form of hope and newness in a year filled with despair, and plan to make (and keep) New Year’s resolutions, here are some tips to make them stick (for real).

Set goals instead of resolutions

Goals are specific; while resolutions are broad and oftentimes, vague. The more specific you are about a goal, the more likely you are to achieve them. Get clear on the goal and how you will make it happen. For example, you want to lose weight. Instead of saying, I want to lose weight, figure out how you will lose weight and make that the goal. I plan on losing between 3-4kg this month by eating sweets only once a week and exercising two times a week. For example, you want to make more money this year. How can you do that? Does that entail a promotion, a new job, or a side hustle? Again, get specific. I plan to make more money by taking on one side project a month to supplement my income. Or I will get a certification in a specialty that allows me to grow my business or my services. Working on those specific, smaller steps is achievable and less daunting, thereby allowing you to reach your goal.

Make your resolutions more mindful

If Covid has done us any good, it is that it has shed light on our lives and allowed us to see what truly matters. Don’t let that knowledge go to waste. Choosing to live consciously, with intention and kindness is something we should all put at the top of our list. To break it down, that could be as simple as deciding to live in the present moment and find joy in small things. Or maybe it’s something more specific, like deciding to think of food as pleasure instead of punishment. Allowing yourself to savor that slice of cake without the self-hate that follows is a lofty goal – because it leads to increased happiness and self-acceptance. Similarly, deciding to create boundaries with people that bring you down, whose energy drains you, or who are generally toxic, is a worthy commitment to make to yourself.

Make your resolutions measurable

Being able to measure progress, no matter how small, keeps us on track towards reaching our main goal. For example, if you want to be more present in your life, perhaps you will use an app that tracks your screen time. If your goal is to get more fit, perhaps you will use an exercise app where you log in to your workouts. If your goal is to do things that bring you more joy, perhaps you can start a gratitude journal where each day you record something that you did that you are grateful for or that brought you joy.

Make your resolutions relevant

Like everything we deem important in life, we should always ask ourselves; why am I doing this? And am I doing this for the right reasons? If we are doing things out of pressure, a false sense of approval or belonging, or if we simply decided in the heat of the moment that this is something we should do, most likely we will not see it through. Our resolutions should be thought out, they should change our lives for the better or change the lives of others for the better. These goals should include an underlying value, like being responsible, honest, empathic, connected, creative, free, or adventure-seeking. All these are values that should underpin our goals. Perhaps your goal is to try new things, and the value behind that is freedom and openness. Or maybe your goal is to be a more approachable person and the value behind that is empathy and non-judgment. Our values are like a compass that steers us in the right direction. If our goals include an intention to execute a specific value, they anchor us and give us an inexhaustible well of motivation and energy to achieve our goals. Goals with values connect us to a greater purpose in life. We can excuse the lack of motivation and commitment due to a largely uninspired, exhausting year underlined with fear and uncertainty. But as we get used to living with the apprehension, we also learnt more about how we want to live, and what matters the most.

By: Najla Moussa