The secret to keeping your New Year's resolutions

The new year is here with its promise of fresh starts, new adventures and new achievements. Many people make New Year’s resolutions relating to their health, habits, finances or personal development. However, turning those intentions into lasting change can be difficult.

What makes resolutions so hard to maintain, even when we believe they could improve our lives?

One useful concept is self-efficacy: our belief in our ability to perform a particular action or achieve a goal. When you believe you can make a change and deal with the challenges involved, you may be more willing to begin and keep going.

So, how can you strengthen your self-efficacy and give your resolutions a better chance of success?

One thing at a time

To change your behaviour, it can help to take one step at a time. It’s all about the small wins.

Writing down everything you want to accomplish is useful, as long as you don’t expect to work on all of it at once. Prioritise your goals and begin with one that matters to you.

Each time you make progress, however small, acknowledge it. Seeing yourself move closer to your goal can increase your confidence and strengthen your belief that you can succeed.

Plan how you will achieve your goal

People sometimes abandon their resolutions because they take on too many unrealistic goals or underestimate the time and effort involved.

We can assume that personal goals should come naturally and therefore plan for them less carefully than we would plan a project at work. Instead, consider what you will need to do, what might get in your way and how you will respond when your motivation dips.

Set SMART goals

If exercising more is your New Year’s resolution, check whether your goal is SMART. Is it specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound?

“Exercise more” is vague and gives you little direction. A clearer goal might be: “For the next four weeks, I will go for a 15-minute walk every Monday and Wednesday at 6.30 pm.”

The more clearly you define the action, the easier it becomes to recognise whether you have completed it.

Focus on what you want to do

Research involving 1,066 participants found that people with approach-oriented resolutions reported greater success than those with avoidance-oriented resolutions.

An approach goal focuses on what you want to begin or achieve. For example, “I will eat vegetables with my evening meal” is more action-focused than “I will stop eating unhealthy food.”

Try framing your resolution around the positive behaviour you want to introduce rather than only what you want to stop doing.

Take small steps

Once your goal is clear, make sure the first step feels manageable. If a goal looks too big, you may procrastinate or feel discouraged before you begin.

If your eventual goal is to complete a 10km run but exercise hasn’t been part of your routine, your first step might simply be taking a short walk in your new trainers. You can then gradually increase the distance and pace in a way that is appropriate for you.

Like any skill, confidence in your ability to achieve something can be developed. Starting with manageable steps helps you notice your progress, build motivation and keep moving forward.

Remember your past successes

Sometimes, we believe we can’t accomplish something simply because we haven’t attempted that particular challenge before.

Remind yourself of occasions when you have achieved something difficult, even if it was in a completely different area of your life.

What accomplishments are you proud of? What personal qualities helped you succeed? How could you use those qualities to work towards your current goal?

Choose your support carefully

Friends, relatives and colleagues can encourage us as we work towards our goals. Think carefully about who you share your plans with and what kind of support would help you.

You might want encouragement, practical help, accountability or constructive feedback. Let the people supporting you know what you need rather than assuming they will understand automatically.

Make sure you know who is on your team.

Find relatable role models

Who has already achieved something similar to what you are setting out to do?

Rather than focusing only on the most successful person in the field, look for someone who is a few steps ahead of you. Their experience may feel more relatable and provide practical actions you can take now.

You can still learn from people who have achieved extraordinary things, but remember that everybody was a beginner once.

Your resolution does not need to be completed perfectly or transformed overnight. Choose something meaningful, define the next manageable action and allow each small success to strengthen your belief that change is possible.