Is New Year’s Day Really the Best Time to Make Lasting Resolutions?

Lose weight. Quit smoking. Find a partner. Get a promotion. Travel more. Spend less. Connect with loved ones. Finally get enough sleep. 

The end of the year can pile on pressures to completely revamp your life in the new year. But is the calendar hitting Jan. 1 really a good enough reason to make a major change? 

“For so many people, New Year’s resolutions often focus on changing appearance or body size because there are multi-billion dollar industries pushing their beauty and weight loss products this time of year,” Dr. Samantha DeCaro, Psy.D., Director of Clinical Outreach and Education at The Renfrew Center, tells The Messenger. 

There isn’t anything wrong with using this time of year to reflect on how you might want to improve yourself, Dr. DeCaro adds. But she urges those making resolutions to evaluate whether those dreams for the new year are actually aligned with what you want and what you’re able to accomplish, not just concepts you feel compelled to reach for just because it feels like everyone else is. 

“Check in with yourself,” Dr. DeCaro says. “Does your New Year’s resolution actually reflect your core values and what is most meaningful to you in your life?”

But, she adds, “you do not have to participate if it doesn’t feel right for you. If you’re noticing anxiety or feeling shame that you haven’t created a New Year’s resolution, remember that we can simply observe and sit with those feelings without acting on them. Feelings aren’t facts and all emotions eventually rise and fall with time.” 

If you do make New Year’s resolutions, here’s how to form a plan

For those who do feel compelled to introduce new habits in the New Year, the most important step in sticking with them, experts tell The Messenger. Regardless of when you make the resolution, trying to go from zero to 100 straight away is a recipe for disaster. 

“It’s great to set goals,” cognitive neuroscientist Caroline Leaf, Ph.D., tells The Messenger. “It’s not so much the goal-setting that’s the issue for people in the New Year, it’s how they do it.”

After a holiday season of slipping out of regular habits and indulging on food and drinks, some may feel guilt that sparks resolutions, Dr. Leaf says. But that can lead people to make unrealistic goals based on trying to fix what they’re ashamed of, instead of focusing on habits that are sustainable in the long run. 

“Motivation will inevitably fluctuate, so making a straightforward commitment to the process is often necessary,” Dr. DeCaro says. “It can be helpful to stay focused on your deeper reasons for change. To fully explore these reasons, try asking yourself, ‘why do I want to change?’ and ‘why do I not want to stay the same?’” 

Tips for sticking with changes, regardless of the time of year 

There isn’t anything inherently special about starting a new habit on the first day of the year, experts say. No matter what time of year you decide to make a change, they stress the importance of breaking down goals into specific steps and timeframes to best set yourself up for success.

Through her research, Dr. Leaf has found that trying to force a habit too quickly or overhauling too much at once is the reason most people’s resolutions don’t last. When it comes to cementing a new habit into your life, studies have shown it takes about nine weeks to actually make a certain action an automatic part of a regular routine. 

“[Focusing] on the present moment is really huge with goals,” says Dr. Leaf. “The big goal is in the future, but breaking it down into small parts keeps you in the present.”

Don’t just jot down “exercise more” if that’s your goal for 2024 — “It’s important to identify your ‘why,’” Dr. DeCaro says. Do you want to be able to play with your grandkids more easily? Be able to climb the mountain you’ve always dreamed of hiking? Feel yourself getting stronger? 

Then, break that goal down into manageable steps. For the first week, Dr. Leaf suggests committing to something lower-stakes, like walking your dog for 20 minutes three days a week. Over the course of the first nine weeks of the year, steadily increase the time and frequency of those walks — then getting some exercise via regular dog walks becomes a habit. For the next nine-week block of the year, consider slowly introducing weight lifting or gym visits, starting with once a week and increasing slowly. 

If you can’t think of a resolution to start on Jan. 1, that’s fine, experts say. Don’t force it — making a positive life change can come at any point in the year. It all comes down to when you feel an authentic reason for wanting to start a new chapter. 

“Some days will feel harder than others,” Dr. DeCaro says. “Identifying the core values at the root of your goals can help you stay the course when you face challenges or setbacks. When we feel like giving up, sometimes taking one small step towards change is enough to boost confidence and reignite your motivation to keep going.”