How to make a better New Year’s Resolution

My whole job is helping people do things differently. Not just for a few days. Not just until the buzz wears off. I’m talking about changing habits and behaviours that may have been running the show for years. Sometimes a lifetime.

With the New Year creeping up, here’s a simple recipe for building a resolution that actually sticks.

1. Make it an action, not an outcome

• “Be healthier.”
• “Lose weight.”
• “Run a marathon.”

These aren’t resolutions. They’re results. They don’t tell you what you’ll actually do tomorrow morning.

Swap outcome goals for action goals. Something you can get your hands on. Something you can literally go and do.

For example:

• “Save my daily treat for after an hour of solid exercise” will push you toward better health and lower weight.
• “Follow Couch to 5K three times a week” will get you moving toward that marathon.

“Actions drive outcomes. Not the other way round”

2. Have a reason that actually means something

Weak reasons collapse the moment life gets slightly inconvenient.

• “Everyone else is doing it.”
• “I suppose I should.”

That stuff won’t get you out the door when it’s cold, dark and your sofa is calling your name.

You need a reason with teeth. Something personal. Something that genuinely matters to you.

That reason becomes your rocket fuel. When the going gets tough, it’s the thing that stops you from binning the whole plan.

3. Build yourself a solid support crew

Trying to change on your own is possible, but it’s harder than it needs to be. A dependable wingman makes everything simpler.

Find someone who can:

• Encourage you when you wobble
• Offer advice when you’re unsure
• Tell you straight when you’re slacking

Accountability isn’t a punishment. It’s scaffolding. It keeps the whole structure upright while you’re building something new.

4. Review and Redraft weekly

Lets face facts, you will not get this perfectly on your first try. You will almost certainly cock up a few times when you begin. So why not make that universal law part of the process. At the end of each week, make sure you Review and Redraft. Ask yourself:

• What worked well over the previous week. What are your strengths?
• What didn’t work so well, or what went wrong over the previous week? What are your weaknesses?
• What lessons can you learn and put into practice for the following week? There is nothing wrong with making a mistake, as long as you don’t keep on making the same mistake time and again.

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