The Tamesis
“People haven’t lost their ambition—they’re finally starting to get realistic about what healthy living is,” explains Thalia-Maria Tourikis, a certified health coach and burnout prevention expert at Headway. “Years of overwork, burnout, constant financial stress and non-stop digital noise have taken their toll on the current situation. Smaller, sustainable goals will be more complex in the long run and will be more helpful in keeping yourself emotionally stable.”
How many resolutions should you set?
This also applies to the number of resolutions you set. “Choose three to five resolutions,” Turikis advises. “Less is better.”
Keeping your resolution list short and sweet will help you stay consistent and avoid burnout. “When you remember that each goal requires small, daily actions, even a short list can represent a meaningful commitment,” Turikis said.
Speaking of lists, it’s also a good idea to actually write them down. “Handwriting activates specific parts of the brain, making it easier for us to recognize our intentions,” Turikis says. “It also encourages accountability and helps change self-perception. When we write down our plans and check in on what we accomplished, we get an extra sense of satisfaction from what we’re doing, and it feels like a buy-one-get-one-free deal.”
know your reasons
No matter how big or small a resolution is, it’s bound to go ignored unless you first find a compelling reason to make it happen. In other words, you have to “know why,” says Liz Moody, personal growth expert and host of the Liz Moody Podcast. “I like to think about how I can be a different person next year than I was last year and identify the broader impact my resolutions may have.”
For example, swearing by eating more vegetables may lead to more energy and clearer skin. Or exercise-based solutions can help reduce anxiety and sleep problems. “A lot of people say I want to lose weight, but they don’t have any reason other than society telling them to lose weight. If something is based on a social message rather than tapping into a deeper motivation, it’s hard to stick with it,” Moody said. So ask yourself: Why should I do this? If you can’t find the answer, maybe just give up. Doing things purely for aesthetic reasons often doesn’t work. “People love us no matter what our abs look like,” she said. “But if you could figure out how a resolution would make you feel? That’s a powerful motivator right now.
Try values, not goals
Likewise, our resolutions have a better chance of sticking if they reflect our moral values, says Dr. Marwa Azhab, a psychology professor at California State University, Long Beach. “It’s been a mentally damaging year and finding something meaningful to do is the best thing you can do to make you feel better,” she said. She likes to distinguish between “purposeful” and “meaningful,” defining the latter as anything that relates to our inner values. “Instead of focusing on goals, choose your three most important values and commit to never compromising no matter how low the world brings you.”
