New Year's Resolutions: How to Start the Year Off Right

Exercise more, go to bed earlier, quit smoking, live more sustainably, learn a new language. Right on cue with the new year, they show up again - the good resolutions for the year ahead. In this article, you'll learn how to make lasting changes and better achieve your goals for the new year. Discover {nrEvents} fitness classes across the US.

This year it just has to work out. My gym membership is signed up, and the new sneakers are waiting for their first run. How hard can it really be to move more, right?

Where do New Year's resolutions come from?

The origin of New Year's resolutions is believed to trace back to ancient Babylon: around 4,000 years ago, at the New Year festival of Akitu, people would promise the gods to pay off debts or return borrowed items.

New Year's resolutions reflect people's desire to change themselves and their circumstances, giving their own happiness a boost. By setting meaningful New Year's resolutions, we try to move closer to the ideal image we often hold of ourselves. According to psychologists, we experience the new year as a turning point and see it as a good opportunity to tackle problems and work on ourselves.

No wonder, then, that more than a third of all people in Germany make New Year's resolutions. But these popular resolutions rarely last long: only one in five people keeps their New Year's resolutions all year long, and most give up within a month. (Statista, 2019)

How can I stick to my New Year's resolutions?

Once you've formulated your goals for the new year, tell others about them. That can help you overcome your inner resistance. Fixed commitments, like scheduled workout sessions, come with a certain accountability. And they're often more fun than struggling through it alone.

Of course, in the calm, reflective time between the years, we're optimistic that whatever we set out to do will succeed. Unfortunately, we often quickly realize there are pitfalls too: vague goals quickly lose meaning and are forgotten after a short time. Some people lack motivation, time, or willpower. Some take on too much at once, and some are simply too comfortable.

That's why it's all the more important to set goals that are genuinely meaningful to us personally. Do I really want to exercise more, or am I trying to do a favor for my partner? Is it important to me to speak better English, or is that something my employer demands of me?

What is a typical New Year's resolution?

Still looking for New Year's resolution ideas? A Statista survey on the most popular resolutions for the new year found the following answers:

• Save more money (51%)
• Exercise more (48%)
• Eat healthier (46%)
• Spend more time with family/friends (38%)
• Lose weight (37%)

(Statista, 2023)

What goals should I set for next year?

Fundamentally, it's not about the goal itself, but about how you want to achieve it. Clear and realistic goals are your key to success. A few characteristics can help you distinguish a real goal from a New Year's resolution.

• Your goal is specific: "I want to learn how to write better emails in English" is easier to act on than a vague wish like "I want to improve my English."
• Your goal is measurable: You can track your progress. For example, you might set out: "I'll learn five new English words every day."
• Your goal is attractive: Can you manage to set aside ten minutes a day for vocabulary practice? Maybe it's better to start with fifteen minutes once a week.
• Your goal is relevant: Why do you want to speak and write better English - do you need the language to do your job better? Or do you want to communicate better with your hosts on your next vacation? The importance of your goal is your best motivation.
• Your goal has a deadline: Set a timeframe within which you want to reach your goal. So, by your next summer vacation, or before the big international sales conference in spring.

Whatever goals you set, don't be too hard on yourself. We're already our own harshest critics, and if we judge ourselves for every small slip, our confidence in our own abilities takes a hit. And that helps no one, least of all yourself.

The top 5 tips for reaching your goals more successfully:

Here are the top 5 tips for better achieving your goals for the new year.

1. Choose the right goals: Decide on goals that fit you and your daily life, and that you look forward to.
2. Find the motivation that works for you: "I'm going to start..." often brings you more joy and success than "I'm going to stop..."
3. Don't take on too much at once: Take it one step at a time, or your goal can quickly feel like a huge mountain to climb.
4. Find an ally: Together you're more motivated, and change is simply more fun with someone else than alone.
5. Be mindful with yourself: Drop the finger-wagging and self-criticism. Treat yourself the way you'd treat someone you love. With patience and understanding, you'll keep moving forward - even small steps lead to success. Allow yourself to experiment, make mistakes, throw out goals that no longer fit, or adjust them along the way.

New year, new resolutions - and the best time for a fresh start. With the right strategies, you can not only set healthy resolutions for the new year, but also follow through on them long-term. Take the opportunity to plan your new year and set yourself up for a sustainable, successful start.

About the author: Tosin A. David is the founder and initiator of the Women's Club Hannover, active since 2007. As a speaker, mentor, and entrepreneur, she created a space for women's personal growth and life design. She combines insights on mindfulness, self-confidence, and goal-setting with inspiring workshops.