Crushing Your New Year's Resolutions: Science-Backed Tips for Staying on Track All Year

Christmas vibes have faded, and here we are, embracing January's call for fresh resolutions and new goals! New Year's resolutions can be such a rollercoaster!  Whether you're aiming to get fit, go green, or dive into a new hobby, it’s wild how some habits just click while others fade away.

Here are some tips to help you crush those new routines. Dive into the science of motivation, tackle temptation, and achieve your goals like a boss!  Check out our top ten findings to help you keep that New Year's resolution going strong all year long!  

Prepare for temptation, not just react

If you've ever attempted to give something up, even just for a little while, you totally understand how overwhelming temptation can be. Sometimes, it feels like skipping a gym session, letting screen time sneak back in, or backing out of plans you said you'd stick to is just too hard to resist.

You know, we usually think that our ability to resist temptations comes from our self-control in the moment. But what if planning for those temptations ahead of time is actually a smarter approach than just reacting when they pop up? It turns out that people who are more "planful" tend to stick with their gym routines better.

It turns out that being proactive about your goals works way better than just reacting when challenges come up. So, if you think ahead and plan how to handle those urges before they hit, you might find it easier to stick to your new habits instead of just crossing your fingers when temptation shows up.

Find a sense of purpose

Finding a sense of purpose can really boost your mental health. It often leads to feeling more emotionally balanced and just having a more positive outlook on life overall. Some research even hints that it could improve your financial situation as well. A study from 2016 looked at over 7,000 people for nine years and found that those who felt a "greater sense of purpose" ended up wealthier than those who didn’t have much of one. Sure, there are definitely some structural issues involved. People who are on low salaries or dealing with debt probably didn't end up in that situation just because they lacked a sense of purpose. And just finding that purpose isn't going to magically turn them into millionaires, either.

It seems like the findings hint that having a stronger sense of purpose in life might be a helpful way to work towards those long-term goals.

Don't get overconfident

So, there’s this interesting study from 2009 that dives into temptation. It explores what’s called the "cold to hot empathy gap," which basically means that when we’re feeling satisfied or full, we tend to think we can resist temptation way better than we actually can. When we're feeling good, we might not see the reason to toss that half-full pack of cigarettes. I mean, we're not going to smoke them, so why bother throwing them out, right? When we're feeling cravings, hunger, or tiredness, it’s tough to feel confident about resisting, and we’re often less likely to hold back.

Basically, thinking we have more self-control than we actually do might be what trips us up when we try to kick those bad habits.

Find an accountability partner

You know, there's a good reason why folks hit the gym in pairs. It's not just about hanging out; having a buddy to keep you accountable really boosts your chances of sticking to your goals

Back in 2017, researchers had participants keep track of their gym visits, and they promised a chance to win a lottery if they hit their goals. Some participants, whether they were on their own or with a buddy, couldn’t tell when others were hitting the gym. Two more groups, either solo or in pairs, got to check out how often their peers were visiting. People who were part of teams, regardless of whether they could see how often they visited, were much more likely to stick to a regular exercise routine.

If you feel like you might hesitate, it could be a good idea to partner up with someone else. It’s not perfect, but it could be useful.

Use the right metaphors

You might be turned off by the idea that your efforts to reach your goals are a "journey." The word "journey" can sound cliché and easy-going when used too much. But, as one study found, the metaphor worked better than you might think. About 2,000 people were asked to think about goals they had recently reached in one of three ways: without any metaphors, as "ending a journey," or as "arriving at a destination." People in the "journey" group were also much more likely to keep doing goal-related things and be more likely to follow through on them (for example, not giving up on fitness plans). Talking about your "journey" might make you feel like a "Khatron ke khiladi" contestant, but it might be worth it.

It is okay to lapse

Breaking a new habit can be a disheartening experience, often resulting in a complete loss of motivation. However, occasional planning lapses might ultimately assist you in reaching your long-term goals.

Adhering to a rigid routine, one paper suggests, can lead individuals to perceive themselves as complete failures when they cannot maintain it consistently. This consequently impacts motivation, ultimately making it less likely for you to maintain your new habit.

However, planning lapses can be beneficial — they reduce the likelihood of losing motivation, increase the chances of discovering new routines as enjoyable rather than burdensome, and enhance the ability to maintain self-control during other times. It may seem counter-intuitive, but allowing yourself to relax occasionally could be the most effective approach to sustaining new habits.

Distract yourself

Focusing on your willpower is great and all, but there are times when you really just need something to take your mind off things. Classic studies showed that kids who used "distraction strategies" — like singing, for instance — were better at resisting sweets and chocolate. So, back in 2016, some research showed that people who are really busy tend to recover better from missed deadlines. It’s not exactly the same thing, but it might hint that using distraction techniques could help us deal with those tough, demotivating moments.

Practise acts of self-control

Even though practicing little self-control may not seem like much, it could help you in the long run, and the results were similar in a study that looked at smoking cessation.

Develop further passion

And if you haven't set a New Year's resolution yet, here's a suggestion: resolve to develop a new passion. Many of us have a passion in life, and many of us experience great pleasure because of it; pursuing something you love, whether through work or at home, can bring great emotional fulfilment. So, if there's a hobby you've always wanted to take up, now's the time.

Give yourself a break

All this talk of temptation, willpower and self-control can feel exhausting. So don't forget to give yourself some time off.

Allowing yourself to sit in front of the TV slobbing out can have multiple benefits. Recategorizing such behaviour — thinking of it as relaxation, rather than procrastination — can make you feel less guilty about binge watching or video game playing, and more likely to reap the benefits of relaxation. Forgiving yourself for procrastination can make you feel far less guilty and, in the end, far more likely to fulfil your goals.

In other words? Cut yourself some slack.