With 2025 quickly approaching, many people are reflecting on their resolutions from the past year and preparing resolutions for the new year. It is often very stressful to find a unique yet attainable resolution. It’s easy to get swept up in the “new year, new me” tide, hoping that a new year will automatically arrive with a fresh slate. And for a while, yes, everything may be a fresh slate! But after the first few weeks, we often subconsciously slip back into our “old year” habits. Not hitting snooze in the morning or making it to the gym gets hard when we lose momentum. Admit it—you must have a resolution you didn’t get very far with. We all do.

​

However…this does not mean we shouldn’t set goals for ourselves. It just means we should re-evaluate how we follow through with said ambitions.

​

Research suggests that only 45 percent of people who set New Year’s resolutions succeed in achieving them. Why is this so hard to do? It can’t be that hard…right? 

Unfortunately, setting your goal is the easy part. Making it happen is more complicated.

Some people think the problem is a lack of motivation. If we muster up more willpower, surely everything will work… and if we plan it all meticulously, will it succeed? Not necessarily. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen.”

​

I don’t know about you, but this mantra makes me feel stressed and guilty. Maybe that’s because it makes me feel like I don’t want the goal enough, and that’s why it’s not working out. And then, because I feel guilty, I  scrap the goal altogether to rid myself of those yucky feelings. Sound familiar?

​

​Most of the time, the problem is not a lack of motivation. It is the action to follow through with the resolution that is lacking.

 

Oftentimes, when we set a goal, it is very broad. For example, “going to the gym” or “being happier” can mean so many different things. These goals are on the right track, but they don’t include enough thought to be put into action. Set yourself up for success by curating more specific goals. Instead of saying, “I want to read more books this year,” try setting a definite number of books you’d like to read in one year. Maybe you want to read one book each month or 20 books by the year's end. Both are feasible goals. Even if you don’t know for sure what this year will look like, don’t be afraid to be a little ambitious. You are capable of hard things! Ambition is much more attainable than abstraction. 

​

Additionally, give yourself some grace. If you miss a day of your goal, it is okay. Your goal doesn’t end here; this isn’t a streak! Who’s counting the days, anyway? It is up to you to decide when and how your goal ends. Maybe your resolution won’t come true in 2025, maybe it’ll take longer. That’s just fine. Frankly, the first day of a new year is just a date. You’ll wake up the same person as the day prior. The only thing that has to change is the date on the calendar.  It’s entirely up to you whether or not you want to change yourself just as you would a calendar.

​

​The fact that you read this article shows me your aspiration to succeed in your new year. Setting goals can be hard, especially when the future is murky. Who knows what 2025 has in store for us? But no matter how big or small your resolution is, just know I’ll be cheering you on from the sideline.