Now that the rush of the holidays is winding down and we are entering our daily routines again, it’s that time of year when we start to make those initial efforts in keeping our New Year’s resolutions. Whether it was to start going to the gym more regularly, speaking more kindly to others, or finally taking that trip you always said you would, once the daily routine comes back it can be all too easy to forget and abandon those resolutions we made with so much enthusiasm.
A recent study found that roughly speaking, only 9.2 percent of the world’s population will stick to their New Year’s resolutions throughout the whole year. So in order to help you stick to them, here is a quick list of reminders and ways to keep your resolutions and help you have the best year ever!
Keeping a Planner
One very simple and effective way to keep your New Year’s Resolution, especially health-related goals, keeping a planner and scheduling in your resolution will help make sure a day does not slip by that you are reminded of what you promised yourself.
Being Kind to Yourself
Most New Year’s resolutions go through a very short life cycle. During the holidays we set ambitious plans to change the way we do things, to get healthier, to eat better or the like, we find ourselves ready to change forever.
Then, usually around February, we begin to slip a little bit, we miss a day or two of our gym goal, and suddenly we feel defeated. We tell ourselves since we’ve already a number of days of our goal, we might as well give up. That, or we simply forget we even made the goal!
One effective away to save ourselves from this discouraging cycle is to be kind to ourselves. We can simply remember that great change does not happen overnight and that we can have a fresh start every single day.
Asking a Friend to Keep You Accountable
What are friends for, if not to help us achieve our goals and become better people? One tip to keep your New Year’s resolutions is to ask a close friend to help keep you accountable!
Better yet, if you both share the same resolution, the process of accountability will be even easier. When we know that we have others that we are accountable to when it comes to our goals, we can often have a stronger sense of motivation and enthusiasm to stick to our goals and resolutions.
Frame or Keep Your Resolutions Somewhere They Are Always Visible
One practice mentioned by a variety of self-help coaches is to make sure your resolutions are kept somewhere very visible. Somewhere like the bathroom mirror, next to where you keep your keys or phone at night, somewhere that you visit multiple times a day.
Consider starting a group chat with friends that have the purpose of keeping everyone accountable for keeping their resolutions. This can be a great way to not only keep yourself accountable but to also congratulate and motivate your good friends to keep their goals.
There is a great Goal Setting Worksheet on LDS Bookstore that’s available for free! It has a an eye-catching design that can be easily placed anywhere you visit often to remind you of your goals. Click here to download yours.
Using the Technique of “Reward Bundling”
In an episode of the popular podcast The Happiness Lab, Dr. Laurie Santos interviews Wharton University’s professor Katherine Milkman about sticking to our goals in the new year with a technique called “reward bundling”.
Professor Milkman explains a study in which a group of individuals was asked if they wanted to exercise more this year. This was met with a resounding yes, and they offered each member of the group an iPod that they could only use at the gym. Additionally, they organized a cycling class where the group would be able to access their iPods with a group-selected audiobook that they could only listen to when attending the class.
They then organized another group that gave them the iPod that was meant for the gym but did not establish any restrictions beyond this. They found that within the two groups, the audiobook group exercised 56% more than the second group.
Professor Milkman explains that by combining a goal with one of our “indulgences,” whether that is audiobooks, television shows, or a favorite meal, we are almost 3 times as likely to stick to our resolutions throughout the year.
What Makes Lasting Change Possible
All tips and tricks aside, the new year is a meaningful opportunity to pause and reflect on who we are becoming and who we hope to be. Goals and resolutions can give us direction, but they are not meant to be a measure of our worth or a verdict on our discipleship.
One of the most hopeful truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that lasting change is not dependent on perfect consistency. Every day offers the chance to begin again, to realign our intentions, and to move forward with renewed purpose, even if yesterday did not go as planned.
Through Christ, growth is not an all-or-nothing effort but a steady process shaped by grace. As we turn to Him, repent, and keep trying, we are reminded that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17), not just once a year, but as often as we are willing to start again.
That perspective can transform resolutions from temporary ambitions into meaningful acts of faith. When we root our goals in patience, humility, and reliance on the Savior, lasting change becomes not only possible, but deeply personal and enduring.
What helps you start again when motivation fades or progress feels slow? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Devin is a graduate of Brigham Young University where he studied English and Business Management. He is a writer, photographer, movie-fanatic, and a lover of street tacos. He served his mission in Tokyo, Japan.
