New Year Resolutions? How to Adopt Habits That Stick.

It feels to me like this time of year has come to represent an ‘all or nothing’ approach to personal change and creating new habits. The expectation is that we will all commit to our “New Year’s Resolutions” and stick too them. Every newsfeed bombards us with a plethora of articles all expounding the “New Year, New You” mantra. It’s this media frenzy about how one night is going to transform everything, transform you, transform me that’s why I’ve come to dislike new Year’s and in particular New Year’s Eve. It’s the ultimate in over-promise and under-deliver.

As the confetti settles and the countdown echoes fade, we find ourselves standing beyond the threshold of a new year. Let me start by welcoming you to 2024, a year that promises to be a doozy, for so many reasons. A year brimming with potential—not just on January 1st but every day that follows.

How are your New Years Resolutions unfolding? If we’re honest many of those resolutions already lie languishing in the gutter of forgotten dreams. If we were committed to our New Year’s Resolutions maybe it’s time for a different approach to creating new habits.

Breaking Habits – You’re not alone

We’ve all experienced the New Year’s fanfare, and the slump that follows. I’m just back from my first work out of the year, and you’ve guessed it, the gym was jam packed with new athletes. Even the coach commented that many will miraculously vanish by mid-February.

I’ve been that disappearing athlete, it is tough to start something new. In the past I have berated myself when I found myself still embracing my old (couch potato) habits.

But what if we didn’t need to vanish. What if, this year, we could create new habits that we could stick to?

I’m proof that change can happen. 2023 was the year I did get back into a regular workout habit. 83 gym visits later and I am the fittest and strongest I have been in decades. And yes, when I travel, and don’t work out regularly, it is tough getting back into my routine. But I choose to do it anyway. You can too!

As you think about your 2024 resolutions take a moment to consider – how different are they from your 2023 resolutions? 2022 resolutions? 2021?

You can see where I’m going with this. If transformation is important we can start anytime, anywhere, not just on some arbitrary date on the calendar. We can also RESTART anytime, anywhere.

This year, I propose we pivot from the grandiose ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ to something more grounded, more feasible—’New Day Resolutions.’ It’s not about discarding the concept of BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Instead I am suggesting we zoom in on the present. Just today. Just for today.

New Day Resolutions – Habits That Stick

By honing in on the here-and-now, we liberate ourselves from the weight of ‘a year’s expectations ‘forever’, and instead focus on the baby steps that propel us forward. Here are the daily intentions I’m setting, simple yet profound:

• 📖 Just for today, I’ll delve into a new chapter—literally, by reading a portion of a book.
• 🚶‍♀️ Just for today, I’ll take a 30-minute walk, getting out of my office and away from endless zoom calls.
• 🎯 Just for today, I’ll channel my efforts into one task at a time, embracing deep work – Focus!!.
• 💬 Just for today, I’ll engage in a conversation I’ve been postponing, choosing courage over comfort.
• 📞 Just for today, I’ll reach out to a colleague or a friend, nurturing my professional and personal relationships.

The simplicity of ‘just for today’ belies its transformative power. It’s a commitment that doesn’t overwhelm but instead enables us to revel in the accomplishment of small, daily habits.

Daily Habits Create Yearly Transformation

I challenge you, to pare down your list of resolutions. Select ONE thing that resonates, one habit you’re genuinely eager to integrate into your daily rhythm. Quality trumps quantity here. Make your choice, declare it, do it, and as the sun sets you’ll have a win under your belt.

And tomorrow? My advice is “Rinse and Repeat”. Every day is a new day and another chance for victory… and if the inevitable happens, if yesterday you didn’t check the box… then let it go. Today is literally a new day, another chance for victory!

With ‘New Day Resolutions,’ we’re not just collecting fleeting moments of success. We’re creating a daisy chain of success and habits that help us grow. So here’s to a year of individual moments, each one an opportunity to shine. Let’s make every day a testament to our resilience and our capacity for continuous, meaningful change.