Are New Year’s Resolutions Helpful?

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Hello, 2024. It’s that time of the year again. The start of the new year is a natural time to think about your current behaviors, what you may want to do differently, and your goals for the upcoming year. It is a common practice to create New Year’s resolutions, yet are they actually helpful?

It depends. Reflecting on your behaviors and values and creating goals that align with your values can motivate helpful change. When you clarify what is important to you and take steps to move in the direction of your values, you can experience an increased sense of vitality, meaning, and quality of life.

However, we don’t always approach New Year’s resolutions and goal setting in a helpful way. If you have an urge to set a resolution, it is useful to consider if you have the urge based on a genuine desire or a sense of should. Do you feel the need to set a goal or make a change based on what someone else would like you to do, what society says you should do, or what sounds good on paper?

It can be difficult to implement and maintain a new behavior, even when you genuinely want to do it, let alone when you don’t. Resolutions based on shoulds are not likely to last. So, if you plan to set a New Year’s resolution, first be honest with yourself about whether the resolution is important and meaningful to you. Do you have a clear why—an understanding of the value that the resolution is connected to that provides you with a sense of purpose?

If you do want to make a change and are aware of your values and why the change is important to you, be realistic with yourself and create small, specific, and doable goals. Resolutions based on unrealistic expectations are unhelpful. If a goal is too large and does not match your current circumstances and resources, success is unlikely, which may fuel self-criticism and make it more challenging to work toward helpful change.

Aiming to make small, incremental changes over time and targeting small changes throughout the year may be more useful than creating one or two large resolutions at the start of the year.

When creating small, realistic, and values-based goals, it is helpful to be SMART:

S: Specific: The most helpful goals are clear and specific. A common error people often make is creating goals that are too general, which can lead to difficulty getting started as it may be unclear where to start. So, get specific! What exactly will you do?

M: Measurable: How will you measure or track your goal? How will you know if you are making progress and/or have completed your goal?

A: Achievable/Attainable: Is your goal achievable, attainable, and realistic given your current resources, circumstances, and/or abilities? If your goal seems too big/unrealistic, how can you break it into smaller, more doable, pieces?

R: Relevant: Why is this goal important or meaningful to you? Why do you want to do it? Does it align with your larger values? The more relevant and meaningful the goal, often the more motivated you will be to do it and the more possibility that taking action on the goal will enhance your quality of life.

T: Time-Bound: How long will you work on this goal (e.g., one week, one month)? Is it short-term or ongoing? When do you want to check in on your progress and make changes to your goal as needed? Even if your goal is long-term, it is helpful to check in and ask yourself how you are doing along the way so you can pivot as needed.

Here's to a meaningful 2024!