Key Takeaways:

• If you’re like most people, you might be thinking about a New Year resolution - that will be completely forgotten within months. Most people actually do keep their resolution for the first month or two - only 13% have dropped the goal within a month - but after that it gets dicey. Momentum is key, but it can be hard to build momentum if you haven’t broken down your larger goals into bite-size pieces that you can take action on.
• SMART goals are essential for goal-setting that works. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-bound. You may be familiar with this process because of your job or company, but these parameters are equally important for personal goals. There is a big difference between “lose weight” and “lose 10 lbs within 6 months”. Or, “pay down my credit card” vs. “pay an additional $200 toward my credit card with each monthly payment”. You need specific action items that have a timeframe and can be measured (so you know if you’re meeting the right milestones).
• Tech can be your best friend in setting and achieving New Year resolutions. For one thing, use apps like Daylio to keep a brief journal throughout the year, so that you can see what’s working and what’s not - and what might be an ideal goal for self-improvement. Then use apps like ClickUp to set goals, Trello to break them down and get a big-picture visual, and Todoist to execute smaller tasks. Manage all of these apps - and the other platforms you use daily - on the only app-integrated browser designed for productivity, Shift.
• If your plan doesn’t work, change the plan - not the goal. No matter what objectives you set, you need to remain flexible. Life changes rapidly, and it’s essential to let your resolution evolve as your life does. Flexible planning has been shown to enhance goal achievement. As US President Eisenhower once famously said, “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” You will learn a lot through the phases of planning, even when you need to adjust your tactics.

It’s about time to start considering your New Years resolutions. Then, maybe a month from now, we can check in and see who has kept theirs so far.

As we start the New Year, many of us are filled with optimism and determination to make positive changes in our lives. New Years resolution offer a unique opportunity for self-improvement, allowing us to set goals that reflect our aspirations and dreams - New Year new goals!

However, while the intention behind these resolutions is often strong, the reality is that many people struggle to maintain them throughout the year. Pew Research tells us that three in ten Americans make at least one resolution each year. Among those individuals, about 13% will have broken their resolution within a month. This is particularly true of younger people, with 49% saying they have made at least one resolution this year.

So what can you do if you feel the New Year is here and you want to actually stick to your self-improvement this year? In this article, we’ll talk about New Year Resolutions and what you can do to be sure that at this time next year, you’ll be proud of all you’ve accomplished.

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Why Resolutions Matter

Making resolutions is a great way to encourage self-reflection and growth. They can serve as a roadmap to help us become the best versions of ourselves. As with many things in life, being accountable will make us more likely to succeed - and claiming a goal as a New Year resolution is a great way to hold yourself more accountable. You can write it down or tell others. Considering something as a resolution and not just a generic thing you’d like to do makes it more likely to stick.

However, we all know that keeping a New Year resolution is easier said than done. Common reasons resolutions fail include setting unrealistic expectations, lack of accountability, and insufficient planning. The excitement of a new year can quickly fade, leading to feelings of frustration and discouragement when progress stalls. Often, if not enough momentum is made early on, we feel like the effort is useless and we move onto something else.

To improve your chances of success, it’s essential to approach your resolutions in a structured way. You can try some of the following apps to set and track your most important goals for the new year.

• ClickUp - comprehensive goal setting and management
• Strides - helps to set a productive daily routine and increase positive habits
• Way of Life - habit formation and removing undesirable patterns
• Coach.me - development through personal coaching
• Habitica - gamifies habit-building for increased adoption
• ATracker - multi-device time tracking for each goal you set

Reflect and Set SMART Goals

One of the first steps in keeping your resolutions is to reflect on your past successes and challenges. It sounds a bit cliche, but knowing where you’ve been is the best way to forge a path forward. In particular, understanding what worked and what didn’t can provide valuable insights as you set new goals. It’s important to be honest with yourself as you take stock of how your past year went.

Using apps like Daylio or Reflectly can help you journal your thoughts and track your reflections. These tools allow you to capture your mood, note significant events, and identify patterns over time. Platforms like this are helpful because it can be incredibly difficult to remember what happened weeks ago, let alone months ago. Ask yourself if you remember what happened last December. You’re not likely to come up with a full picture, so journaling and note-taking are valuable.

Related Post: Reflecting on the Past Year: Lessons Learned and Achievements

Once you have reflected, it’s crucial to define your goals using the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

SMART goals are a framework for setting effective objectives. Each letter stands for a different criterion that helps to define and measure the goals clearly:

• Specific - Goals should be clear and specific, answering the questions of who, what, where, when, and why. This clarity helps to focus efforts and clearly define what is to be achieved.
• Measurable - There should be criteria to measure progress and success. This often involves quantifiable metrics that allow you to track your progress over time. It answers the question of how you will know when the goal is accomplished.
• Achievable - Goals should be realistic and attainable, considering the resources and constraints you have. This involves assessing the feasibility of the goal and ensuring that it can be achieved within the given timeframe and resources.
• Relevant - The goal should matter to you and align with other relevant objectives. It ensures that the goal is worthwhile and fits into your overall plans and aspirations. It answers the question of why the goal is important.
• Time-bound - Goals should have a clear deadline or time frame for completion. This helps to create a sense of urgency and encourages timely progress, answering the question of when the goal should be achieved.

This method ensures that your goals are clear and attainable, making it easier to stay motivated.

Create a Plan and Stay Accountable

Setting goals is just the beginning; creating a plan of action is essential. The Pew study mentioned tells us that most New Year resolutions center on health and wealth. Typically, people have goals around things like weight loss, fitness, mental health, debt payments, savings quotas, etc.

Those are all very worthy goals, but those concepts are too generic and you’re unlikely to get much done if your main objective is just to “save money”. How much money? What needs to change to make this possible? What tools will you use? In other words, how will you get to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? This is where it becomes essential to break down your resolutions into concise, actionable steps.

Try phasing your goals into steps using apps like Trello or Notion. These platforms let you organize tasks visually, making it easier to see what needs to be done and prioritize accordingly. For example, in Trello, you can break down a larger project into parts and then move the “tiles” around to give you a clear visual of what you’ve accomplished and what’s left to do. So, “save money” might become:

• Commit to saving a total of $500 in an emergency fund
• Create a detailed budget and see where you can cut back
• Call various providers and try to get better deals (such as internet)
• Create a separate bank account where the money won’t be so accessible
• Plan to put aside $50 each week until you achieve $500

These are 5 smaller goals that add up to your larger objective, but they’ll feel a lot more achievable in phases like this. To track your progress, consider using habit-tracking apps like Habitica or Streaks. These tools gamify the process of habit formation, providing rewards for completing tasks and maintaining streaks.

Accountability is another critical factor in achieving your resolutions. Use apps like Strides to monitor your progress, or find a partner for regular check-ins. Sharing your goals with someone else can add a layer of commitment and support, especially if their goals are similar and you can help each other with tools, advice, etc.

Related Post: Building Healthy Habits for the New Year (You Can Do It)

Stay Flexible and Motivated

As you pursue your resolutions, remember to celebrate small wins along the way. Research proves that meeting small milestones helps with motivation and momentum, which is crucial to goal achievement. Apps like Forest can help you focus and manage your time effectively, while Todoist allows you to create detailed to-do lists and check off tasks, giving you a sense of accomplishment.

It’s also important to stay flexible. Life is unpredictable, and sometimes your priorities may shift. Be willing to adapt your goals as needed to remain aligned with your evolving circumstances. In our example above for “saving money”, you might need an eventual car repair that costs $1000, so you need to be more aggressive in your goals. Or, you may find that a few of your expenses have gone up, so you need to lower your goal number to $300 and increase your daily budget (for now). Don’t take these differences as a failure or a setback. Keep chipping away at your smaller goals and celebrate every milestone.

For those looking to streamline their productivity and stay organized all year long, consider using Shift as a support system. This tool can help you manage your tasks and goals efficiently, ensuring that you remain focused on what truly matters throughout the year. You can also set up custom workspaces that give you easier access to the tools you rely on, and limit distractions and interruptions for your most vital work time.

In the journey of keeping New Year’s resolutions, focus on progress over perfection. Each small step you take contributes to your overall growth and well-being. Enjoy the journey and the lessons each phase will bring. Cheers!

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