Every time the Times Square Ball drops on New Year’s Eve and a fresh year begins, most people clamor to set goals or new habits they want to cement in the new year. However, more often than not, individuals set themselves up for failure by formulating too extreme expectations. In reality, only 9% of people in the United States manage to complete their New Year’s resolutions, according to Ohio State University in 2023. If this is the year you swear you’re finally going to follow through with your goals, here are some dos and don’ts to aid in your journey.
Do: Break goals into categories
Oftentimes when setting goals it can be helpful to think about the goal in terms of the impact or relevance in your life. This can translate into breaking your list down into subsections such as financial, health, personal or relational. By putting thought into how you can make attainable and actionable changes in certain areas of your life, you can add more motivation and clarity to your intentions instead of making drastic changes that don’t appear authentic in reality. You don’t have to make a bunch of goals in each category but having a condensed listing of one or two in each subsect can make a noticeable difference.
Don’t: Simply keep it to “improvement”
The stereotypical resolutions consist of wanting to better yourself, typically through the lens of health or wellness goals. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s also important to think of some ways you can nurture your hobbies or interests in the new year. Taking time to make a list of activities you want to try or experiences you want to have can be a lot more maintainable and fun than the average New Year’s resolution.
If you want to get crafty with your goals, some people on social media have taken to making a 2026 bingo card. You can make a board of things you want to try or some small goals you want to meet, maybe add some fun illustrations and cross them off through the year as you meet them. Additionally, individuals have also enjoyed making punch cards for themselves for things they want to do a certain amount of times, with many offering themselves a reward if they complete the card. Having goals for yourself doesn’t have to be a punishment or a completely strict experience; it’s so much better if you find a way to add a little whimsy to it.
Do: Remember goals aren’t always hyper-specific
New Year’s resolutions commonly involve a change that can be measured or achieved. You either run every morning, or you don’t. You visit the Grand Canyon, or you don’t. But the new year means something different for everyone, and sometimes goals don’t exist as specific actions that can be pinned down to a certain hour of the day or a weekend out of the year. If you don’t have a step-by-step plan of improvement written down on Dec. 31, that’s OK. Goals like being a better friend, being more present or simply saying “yes” to things more don’t need to be written down and are flexible enough to fit into a changing or stressful lifestyle. These kinds of goals can be carried with you throughout the day and sprinkled into opportunities as they come up. They can also lead to unexpected places, considering their versatility.
Don’t: Center goals around Jan. 1
New Years on the Gregorian calendar always happens at the most inopportune time: the dead of winter. When the sun sets a little after five and the typical high stagnates somewhere around 30 degrees, the last thing most people want to do is start dreaming up ways to expend more energy and reinvent their whole routine. Don’t force yourself to create a resolution simply because January rolls around — it’s just another month. The novelty of a new year isn’t a sustainable form of motivation. If you need to take the whole month of January to reflect and think about how you want to move forward when the earth thaws and shorts become socially acceptable again — do that.
