It’s that time of year again folks. We’re making our lists, checking them twice. All of the promises we make to ourselves that we may or may not keep in the upcoming year.
- Lose weight
2. Get organized
4. Find a new job
5. Finish writing that novel
6. Learn how to use AI
Already feeling discouraged? Don’t beat yourself up. The odds are against success. But here are a few strategies to beat the odds.
In Cheryl Robinson’s Forbes article, she puts the success rate for those sworn to resolve at about 1%. Per Robinson’s article, success requires ongoing behavior changes and follow through.*
Not the most encouraging odds.
Remember the 30 day rule? If you kicked an old bad habit or started a fresh shiny new one, and stuck with it for 30 days straight, it would become routine. Thirty days, one month roughly, that seemed doable.
What if it really takes two months?
In his article in Psychology Today Mark Travers, Ph. D, added some time to the success timeline. He says it takes 59 days on average, “to Make Good Habits Actually Stick.” He notes the importance of willpower and routine, plus environmental and identity cues to aid in forming a habit from a mere resolution. **
I know what you’re thinking. If I had willpower, follow through, and the resolve for a 60-day effort, I wouldn’t need to make resolutions in the first place.
What if you focused on doing just one thing? Changing one habit seems infinitely less overwhelming than sticking to a long list of to do’s. Am I right?
James Clear explains the science behind making a habit stick in his article, “The Scientific Argument for Mastering One Thing at a Time”. Clear argues that forming a specific plan means you will be 2-3x more likely to stick to your goal. He further emphasizes the 60 day rule for a habit becoming a routine. *** To retrain your brain, so to speak.
All good advice from these experts.
Maybe you’re thinking, I can tell myself I’ll do anything. Is telling myself enough? What’s lacking here?
Accountability.
Sharing your goal with at least one other person makes you accountable to someone other than yourself. I can sleep fine at night knowing I’ve let myself down. But if I make a promise to someone else, I’m much more inclined to keep it. For example, one of my goals for 2026 is to write more. How am I doing so far?
Wishing you success with your resolutions and goals for 2026!
Check out the articles referenced here:
*** https://jamesclear.com/master-one-thing
Eileen Slovak 
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