Do you ever feel like your New Year’s resolutions fizzle out just a week or two into the year, or even sooner? There’s a reason for that. Most of the time, when we set resolutions, we’re only focusing on the end goal and not the journey to get there. While setting goals is great, it’s your day-to-day choices and actions that determine your success and your ability to stick to your resolutions.

If you’re ready to make a New Year’s resolution that sticks, follow this foolproof method:

1. Brain Dump Your New Year’s Resolution: Begin by asking yourself what you want to achieve in the coming year. What are your goals? What would make you incredibly happy? Grab a blank sheet of paper or open a note-taking app and jot down everything you want in the new year. Don’t worry about the “how” for now; just get your thoughts on paper.

2. Circle Your Top Resolution: From your list, identify the one New Year’s resolution that stands out as the most important to you. What would happen if you focused on just that one thing? Circle that goal.

3. Deep Dive into Your “Why”: Make sure your motivation for this resolution is genuine. Ask yourself why you want to achieve this goal. Then, ask why again. Repeat this process at least five times until you reach a powerful “why.”

Note: If you struggle to find your “why,” it might indicate that this goal isn’t what you truly desire, and that’s okay. You may be pursuing something you feel you “should” want. If that’s the case, go back and circle another goal before proceeding.

4. Reflect on the Person You Need to Become: Consider the type of person you’d have to be to achieve this resolution. How would you need to think, act, feel, behave, and show up? If you’re unsure, think of someone who embodies these traits and ask yourself, “Who are they?”

Example: If your goal is to stop binge eating, you’d need to become someone who cares for and respects their body, addresses their emotions, and prioritizes their needs.

5. Seek Clarity on Long-Term Happiness: Ensure that this goal will genuinely benefit you in the long term. Based on your vision of the kind of person you need to become, ask yourself, “Would living this way long-term make me happy (emphasis on ‘long-term’)?” If not, what needs to change?

6. Find Your Intention: Could you succeed by focusing only on your behaviors, even if you completely ignored your goal? If yes, what needs to continue, and if not, what needs to change?

7. Take Action: Identify one action you can take today to get one step closer to becoming the kind of person who achieves this New Year’s resolution. Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection. Focus on who you want to become and commit daily to growing into that person. This is how you’ll change your life and, in turn, stick to your resolution.

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A post shared by Ryann Nicole, LPC | Binge Eating Therapist (@itsryannnicole)

If you’re tired of your New Year’s resolutions falling apart within weeks, it’s time for a new approach. Follow this method to align your goals with the person you want to be and the steps to get there. It’s not just about the outcome; it’s about the journey.

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Must Read Books To Break Out Of The Comparison Trap 

Just so you know, I do review everything I recommend. When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle 

For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her own discontent. Then, while speaking at a conference, she looked at a woman across the room and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There She Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high. But she soon realized they had come to her from within. This was her own voice—the one she had buried beneath decades of numbing addictions, cultural conditioning, and institutional allegiances. This was the voice of the girl she had been before the world told her who to be. Glennon decided to quit abandoning herself and to instead abandon the world’s expectations of her. She quit being good so she could be free. She quit pleasing and started living.

The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson

⚠️ Trigger Warning: spicy language and some weightloss talk

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga 

A thought-provoking self-help book that explores the profound teachings of Alfred Adler through a unique Socratic dialogue. It delves into the principles of happiness, relationships, and personal growth, challenging conventional beliefs and encouraging readers to embrace their individuality with courage and wisdom.

The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery by Brianna Weist 

This is a book about self-sabotage. Why we do it, when we do it, and how to stop doing it—for good. Coexisting but conflicting needs create self-sabotaging behaviors. This is why we resist efforts to change, often until they feel completely futile. But by extracting crucial insight from our most damaging habits, building emotional intelligence by better understanding our brains and bodies, releasing past experiences at a cellular level, and learning to act as our highest potential future selves, we can step out of our own way and into our potential. For centuries, the mountain has been used as a metaphor for the big challenges we face, especially ones that seem impossible to overcome. To scale our mountains, we actually have to do the deep internal work of excavating trauma, building resilience, and adjusting how we show up for the climb. In the end, it is not the mountain we master, but ourselves.