Setting and Keeping New Years Resolutions

New Year Resolutions Graph

New Year, New You

I read a great article about New Year Resolutions, why they fail, and how to ensure they don’t.

Basically, most resolutions fail.

☂️ The “executive summary” of this article is that neither huge goals (which are so ambitious they are too overwhelming to achieve), nor small individual goals work.

The article states that “A more robust approach to goal setting involves establishing an entire goal network – a hierarchy of goals including superordinate, intermediate, and subordinate components.”

🌳 Look at the commonality with the most popular goals in the graph–most (and arguably, all) are related to health.

We believe your relationships, job, environment, mental health, finances are all related to health.

Then the top 3 are the obvious ones:
🧘‍♀️ Physical health
🏃‍♂️ Weight loss
🥑 Eating

What if we had as the top hierarchy resolution to “be your best self” and then everything ladders up to it?

This would, according to the article, ensure best outcomes for your resolutions.

The “Fresh Start” Principle

“Research on human behavior has suggested that we tend to use temporal landmarks, such as a new week, new month, new quarter, or new year, as a method of segmenting life into discrete accounting periods that allows us to incrementally keep tabs on our progress and success.” Eric Trexler, “An Evidence-Based Approach to Goal Setting and Behavior Change.”

Fresh starts can, literally, be just that.

But, arguably, fresh starts can happen at any time, any season. You simply must want it, and ideally, you understand that with any true change in life, setting up systems will help you succeed.

Here are 3 key strategies for ensuring success:

🧘‍♀️ Understand that quick fixes are not sustainable–you must create ways to build this into your day-to-day life.

🏃‍♂️ Create goals that you can link to your overall identity (we’ll explain this in a bit).

🥑 Choose goals that support other goals.

Quick Fixes Are Not The Way: Build Long-Term Solutions

Setting yourself up for success includes modifying your environment. A study about college students found that the changed environment of a new school disrupted the habits of students.

The more we can engrain these habits into our lives–for example, no matter what environment you are in, choose to wake up at the same time, or take your daily walk.

Making a habit or a goal a part of your day-to-day lifestyle is the key here. Willpower alone isn’ going to cut it: but sometimes journals, trackers, or even a spreadsheet can be helpful.

And, conversely, increasing friction between you and your goals, such as not making excuses while you are on vacation, or during the holiday season, or even when you are feeling a bit under the weather.

Create Goals That Link To Your Overall Identity

Who are you, and who do you want to be?

At any moment, you have the choice to be something different and to change your entire trajectory.

I always thought education was the great equalizer, but the reality is, without health, nothing matters.

Do you identify as a healthy person? Someone youthful, energetic, eager, passionate, optimistic?

Despite what you may believe, at any time in your life you can choose new adjectives to describe yourself. You can set a goal for your overall person and perception.

When your identity matches the goals and resolutions you set for yourself, you have a much better chance of following through. You become your thoughts and actions.

Decide who the future you is. And then work to become that version of you.

Choose Goals that Support Other Goals


“Small “subordinate” Goals, such as exercise a few times a week has multiple benefits:

🏋 Helps you lose weight
😴 Helps you sleep better
🧘‍♀️ Reduces stress
🥑 Encourages you to eat healthier

What happens, is that you have almost a compound effect. Every time you achieve that goal, you are on a roll with other goals.

This helps you feel accomplished.

That “fresh start” affect–of feeling motivated and enthused is triggered.

What Version of You Is Heading Into The New Year?

Our tagline is “the life you want is possible,” and it’s become almost a resolution for us and for the company.

We truly believe you can change your life at any moment, simply by prioritizing the things that matter most.

For us, we believe true health is the most important thing.

💑 Your relationships
🌍Your environment
👟Your physical health
🌞Your mental health
😴Your sleep
💕Your love for yourself
🧘Your stress

The umbrella “resolution” for us would be the healthiest version of you.

If you want that, then choose that. We can be your guide.

Author

  • Julie is the CEO and Co-founder of Rêve Health. She is a serial entrepreneur, accredited investor, and marketing strategist. She ran and sold a funded ecommerce wellness retreat company in 2012 and then started a strategy & transformation consultancy serving Fortune 100 clients. She has a Masters degree in Journalism from Northeastern University and a B.A. in English Literature. As a former Journalist, she is an avid researcher and reader. She enjoys hiking, biohacking, walking her dog, travel, wellness retreats, and watching sci-fi.

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