Happy New Year, Everyone!

Today, I’m talking about how to stick to not just your New Year’s resolutions but goals in general, and the relationship between goals and habits. With me, I have my good friend Ryan, who is a communications professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Ryan, tell us a little bit about yourself.

If you don’t know much about me, my name is Jule, and I’m a life coach. I help people overcome mindset challenges like imposter syndrome by showing people how to rewire their brains using positive intelligence.

The reason why I’m talking about this today is because I do a lot of work with people to change their behaviors so they can achieve the particular goals they desire. What’s really interesting is that I’ve noticed in the age of the internet, there’s no shortage of information. Whatever you want to find out about, you can pretty much Google.

So why is it that when we talk about our goals like New Year’s resolutions, we have such a hard time?

The number one thing I hear all the time from people is, I know what I’m supposed to be doing, but I’m not doing it.

Does this sound familiar?

Today, we’re going to share some key steps to get your butt moving on any of your goals.

Start with Just One Habit

One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to change everything at once. Our willpower is finite and spread out over everything we’ve got going on, and we feel different amounts of it depending on the time of day. The recommended maximum number of new habits to take on is 3-4, and that’s only if they’re small, like mini-habits.

Focus all of your willpower on one thing, and get it done. Look for the pattern—how we do one thing is how we do everything, regardless of context.

Takeaway: Pick just one thing to focus on. If you can only pick one, what will it be? Let us know in the comments!

Start Easy

Another common mistake is going all in from the start. People set themselves up for failure by setting up unattainable expectations, like committing to working out for 90 minutes a day, five times a week. Starting is the hardest part—it requires the most motivation.

Make it so easy that just doing it seems like a no-brainer. For example, Ryan shared his experience with working out. He started with just a few minutes a day, which made it easy to stick to and build momentum.

Takeaway: Set something up that’s really easy so you can feel good, which helps you build momentum. Set a schedule of when you’ll increase to the next level. What are you going to start with?

Aim for 1% Better

Many people believe that they have to put in significant effort all at once to get significant results. But all in does not mean all or nothing. A 1% increase every day over a year results in a 3600% increase, while a 1% decrease every day for a year results in a 97% loss. Ryan often says, Discipline equals freedom.

Takeaway: What’s your 1% you can do every single day?

Wrapping Up: New Year, New Habits

Habits are the smallest unit that fuel everything. Habits roll up into goals, which roll into your vision. Reflect on your vision and how small, consistent habits can help you achieve it.

Call to Action: Encourage readers to share their chosen habit or 1% improvement in the comments.

Happy New Year, and here’s to making lasting changes!