20 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolution Going Strong

Come on, it's time for an actual change.

Cyra Sanchez
January 8, 2025
5 min read

20 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolution Going Strong — Lisa Fotios on Pexels

It’s easy to lose the motivation to keep your New Year’s resolutions, from setting achievable goals to finding a support system. These 20 strategies will show you practical ways to stick with them.

1. “Two-Minutes Rule”

Leeloo The First on Pexels

This straightforward but powerful technique confronts procrastination directly. Whenever you have a task that will take less than two minutes, it is best to do it now. Smaller tasks do not accumulate into a daunting list. When you follow this rule on the weekend, you feel good about yourself, like a person who feels good about himself when he works out.

2. “SMART” Goal System

Anna Shvets on Pexels

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound When you establish objectives that meet these requirements, you paint a picture of succeeding. This CIS framework is a rich method of identifying your specific goals as New Year Resolutions to be fixed and concrete in Achieving Practical Goals in Life.

3. Habit Stacking

Markus Spiske on Pexels

This genius technique links a new habit to one you already have. For instance, if you want to read more, commit to reading for 15 minutes after brushing your teeth. This utilizes existing routines to introduce new habits into your daily routine effortlessly.

4. “Eat the Frog” Method

Tara Winstead on Pexels

This means tackling the most challenging task first thing in the morning. It energizes you with a feeling of accomplishment and propels you through the workday, allowing you to continue growing with momentum.

5. Mindful Consumption

Edward on Pexels

This practice helps you be intentional about your consumption, including food, information, and experiences. Being more mindful makes you more aware of the decisions you make and their consequences, which helps you move toward a better state of being.

6. Pomodoro Technique

Ron Lach on Pexels

A great time management system that supports the working flow by working for 25 minutes and then taking a 25-minute break. This method improves focus and avoids fatigue by introducing periodic pauses into your workflow.

7. Power of Now

Rene Terp on Pexels

This method encourages you to focus on the present and not brood over what has happened or fret about what is coming. Shifting your focus toward the present reduces stress and enhances your enjoyment of daily activities.

8. “One Thing” Principle

Mikhail Nilov on Pexels

This principle suggests asking yourself: “What is the one thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” Hence, make this your resolution one step, where you aim to do one thing daily.

9. Regret Minimization Framework

Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels

This framework urges you to choose the option that will cause you less regret in the future. Long-term thinking helps you avoid making decisions that conflict with your values and long-term desires. Thus, it makes you mindful of what you should do rather than impulsively doing it.

10. “Pareto Principle” (80/20 Rule)

Ivan Samkov on Pexels

The 80-20 Law states that 80% of results come from 20% of the actions taken. This allows you to maximize productivity by focusing on lower-effort and higher-impact activities, quantifying the efforts and impacts, and concentrating on the 20% of activities that would yield 80% of results.

11. “Two-Minute Rule” for Stopping

Thirdman on Pexels

Like the two-minute rule for starting tasks, you can also apply it to stopping unproductive activities. Independent of the two-minute rule, if something takes less than two minutes, it is not leading you to your goals. Stop doing it. This will help you break the rut of time-wasting habits and regain your focus.

12. “Feedback Loop”

Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

Keep asking trusted friends, mentors, or coaches for feedback. Constructive criticism gives productive insight into how things are going, your level of progress, and what areas. If there is anything you need to improve on. Seeking feedback and adding it in your way will pump you in the learning process.

13. Visualization Technique

cottonbro studio on Pexels

This is where you play a mental movie of the outcome in your mind. Visualization is simply imagining yourself accomplishing what you want. You will make yourself more motivated, instill confidence, and increase your chance of success.

14. Gratitude Journal

Erika Andrade on Pexels

Expressing gratitude regularly for the great things you have in your life is a game changer. Gratitude cultivates a more positive mind—a lower stress level and a higher state of well-being.

15. Mindfulness Meditation

Ivan Samkov on Pexels

This practice includes being aware of the present moment without judgment. When you practice mindfulness, you will learn how to control your emotional state and how it can thrive by reducing stress and increasing self-awareness.

16. Exercise Regularly

Werner Pfennig on Pexels

Physical activity is beneficial for many reasons, including physical health. Moderate exercise helps improve mood, enhance cognitive functioning, and relieve stress.

17. Prioritize Sleep

Ivan Oboleninov on Pexels

Getting enough sleep is critical to your physical and mental health. Making sleep a priority guarantees that you have the energy. Enhances mental sharpness necessary to achieve your goals.

18. Cultivate Strong Relationships

Sarah Chai on Pexels

Building and maintaining strong relationships with family and friends fosters emotional support and a sense of belonging. Good relationships make us happier and healthier. The people we surround ourselves with contribute to our overall well-being.

19. Learn Continuously

Ivan Samkov on Pexels

Learning keeps our minds active, broadens our horizons, and helps us develop personally. It also improves our understanding of the world, which can lead to more exploration.

20. Embrace Challenges

Yan Krukau on Pexels

See difficulties as opportunities to grow and learn. You will develop resilience and confidence and create a growth mindset. It’s okay to fail challenges; learning from them will prevent you from spiraling.