How To Make New Year’s Resolutions That Will Last

Don’t get me wrong, I am all about big dreams and big goals! I would never want to dampen someone’s energy or excitement for 2021. But I am also a realist, so I’m here to tell you to make your New Year’s Resolutions smaller. That’s right, whatever you’re thinking of right now, make it smaller.

Why Smaller?

First and foremost, small goals are realistic. Big changes don’t happen overnight. Big changes happen as a result of hard work, habit-building, and continuous improvement. So instead of expecting too much from yourself right off the bat, focus on building one or two of those small habits that will one day help you achieve your bigger goal.

Additionally, as I discussed in my productivity post, incremental progress against smaller goals will give you more satisfaction. Would you rather succeed at a small goal or fail at a big goal?

And, if you do in fact succeed at your small goal, what will you do next? Your success will likely foster more motivation towards your big-picture goal, so you can use that drive to make another small resolution.

How to Break it Down

Breaking down goals into smaller pieces is often easier said than done. My favorite approach is to keep the timeline small. What are you planning to do in the first week? In two weeks?

Because we usually make our goals at the start of the new year, I think we fall into a trap of only thinking about our goals in year-sized pieces. But that is HUGE. It is certainly good to dream about your goals for the entire year (and yeah, sure, go ahead and define them/write them down…), but the reality is that you can really only plan for the short-term. Anything longer than a few weeks is tentative, in my opinion.

Another question I like to ask myself is, “What is the smallest possible step I can make to work towards my goal?” If that step is so small that it seems silly, you’re probably on the right track.

My Example

In 2016 I set out to run a half-marathon, but I hadn’t been running in years. The first week I started training, my goal was to run for 1 minute. That’s right, one lousy minute. After a few days, I was able to run 2 minutes, and then 5 minutes. By the end of the first week, I was AHEAD of my first goal, and it felt great!

That motivation carried me forward, and I eventually ran that half-marathon, fell in love with running, and experienced a true lifestyle change. When I think back to that 1-minute goal, I am not embarrassed. I am simply grateful.

Do not underestimate the power of small goals.