Some studies estimate that 90% of all New Years Resolutions fail within the first two weeks of the New Year.

The message?

New Years Resolutions dont work.

You know what does?

Goal-setting. Rewarding yourself for achieving small (and big) goals. Creating a new desired habit to replace a habit youre trying to get rid of.

Ive personally interviewed over 5,000 influencers, including everyone from Jack Canfield to Les Brown to Lisa Nichols to Bob Proctor to JJ Virgin to the late Zig Ziglar. One thing I have discovered is that most influencers dont set resolutions. For a reason.

The takeaway?

So, dont set New Years Resolutions.

Instead, write your goals (including habits you want to create, things you want to resolve to start or stop), and decide on the rewards you will give yourself to carry you through until your new actions become a true habit.

Oh, and dont wait until New Years Day to start. Do it instead on any other day of the year. And dont wait until the first of the month or the first of the week.

Start now, or start 10 minutes from now.

This is why. When you start on the first day of the year, or week or month, you are building up way too much anticipation and pressure around this. You are making it a THING.

Its okay to start on Tuesday at 9:30am, or Saturday at 7pm. Just start. Thats the most important thing.

Also, its okay if you have a set-back. Its okay if you mess up while trying to eat healthy. Its okay if you miss an exercise day.

Its more important that you get back on the horse after falling than that you stay on the horse perfectly forever.

Hopefully youre seeing a trend here?

What Im saying is to do what has enjoyed more success. New Years Resolutions are typically failed from the start.

I mean, trying to eat healthy the day after partying until after midnight? Good luck.

What has a better track record? Well, anything else really.

But lets focus on what Ive shared here as this has a much better track record than New Years Resolutions.

1. Set (written) big and small goals.

2. Decide on the rewards you will give yourself when you achieve each goal. This is super important when you get near the stage where most people quit (before it becomes a true habit)

3. Push yourself past the point where it becomes a habit by delivering on the rewards you have decided upon. Little known fact, it isnt 21 days to create a habit its 66. Source: The One Thing. So make sure you have rewards in place to keep you moving forward for more than a couple of months, not just a few weeks.

4. Dont worry about starting at a certain time or on a certain day.

5. Be okay when you have a set back. The long game is way more important than the short game, but many people use the small mis-step as a reason to give up. Dont be most people.

6. Celebrate

Read more:
Don't Set New Year's Resolutions, Do This Instead! - Thrive Global