At the start of each new year, there is a sense of excitement and hope. Whatever we struggled with in the past year can be put aside to leave room for what is to come.
This Fresh Start Effect means that we have great intentions, we set new goals and resolutions and are filled with an intense, but brief, sense that we can finally sort out our life (whatever that means…).
Yet within a few weeks, the motivation dwindles and the spark vanishes as we are left wondering how that excitement could have left us so quickly and all there is to do is to wait another whole year for that feeling of hope to emerge again.
The second Friday of January is known as ‘Quitters Day’ where the vast majority of people quit their new year resolutions and go back to the ‘old normal’.
UNLESS…. Unless somehow we can catch that initial surge of joy and motivation, take action on it and build some momentum to kick start the year. This is what we will explore today in this article.
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
Oprah Winfrey
What’s a new year, if there aren’t any new goals or intentions?
My family & friends would tell you that as soon as we pass midnight and it is officially the first of January, I gather everybody in a circle and each person shares their new goal, habit or intention for the year ahead (yep, that’s what happens when you have a coach in your life ;))
Though this initially makes people cringe or feel somewhat embarrassed, there is a sacred silence as each person opens up and sets the tone for the year ahead. And it’s a bit of extra accountability.
That’s step 1.
Defining a new intention, resolution, goal, habit for the year ahead.
But that’s not enough. That’s why only 9% of people successfully keep their new year resolutions.
The crucial next steps are: putting together a plan, keeping the resolution front of mind and having some form of accountability.
Let’s break this down:
Before defining your new intention for the new year, take a moment to review the previous year: What went well? What were your greatest lessons? Did you follow through on last year’s resolution? What habits do you want to maintain? What changes do you want to put in place?
We learn a lot when looking through our past year, and just jumping directly into the new year is a missed opportunity for learning & growth.
To decide what your new intention for the year ahead is, you can us the wheel of life and rate all the different areas in your life.
By looking at the different areas of your life: family, friends, business, health, finance, spirituality, hobbies… It helps to highlight what you want to work on for the year ahead.
Often, there is at least one core area that is significantly weaker than the others and that tends to be the one we want to focus on for the upcoming year.
Once you’ve decided which area of your life you want to focus on, you can choose an overarching theme, intention, resolution, goal, habit as your New Intention.
Some of my past years resolutions include: Write fiction (at least 5 short stories), Daily exercise, Morning meditation…
I am a big proponent of setting only ONE core intention, and then in another setting, defining key goals in both life & business. I believe in setting goals in life & business each quarter and reviewing them each month. This is a process that I carry throughout the year. We don’t need to wait for a new year to set goals!
This is because it’s easier to remember one intention and it forces us to prioritise more effectively.
There was one year (2024) where I set 5 new habits (cooking, Swedish, running,…) and after 2 weeks, I was totally overwhelmed tracking them and fitting them in to the schedule. It doesn’t work. One new intention is more powerful than many.
Last note on setting this new intention: make it aligned with where you want to go and what’s important for you! Too often we say what we think our peer group is focusing on or what society says is important as a whole, but it’s not true to what matters most to us! Alignment first, always.
Once you have a clear intention, that’s only the first 5%.
This is one of the biggest pitfalls. You think: “Great, I’ve set a new intention, now the new year will be awesome!”
Setting the new intention is the easy bit. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and we can visualise ourselves transformed and, let’s be honest, it takes about 5 minutes.
Following through on that intention is a whole other kettle of fish.
Once you have your intention, you need a plan to make it happen.
For this, we need to take into account:
Opportunity Cost: For new goals & habits to emerge, we need to dedicate time & energy towards them. This means that we need to let go of other activities in order to make room for them. That’s when things fall apart, when we’re not willing to let go of any other activity in order to make room for new habits & intentions…
Time Mastery: We all have 168 hours per week. To carve out another 1, or 2 hours per week towards a given goal, we need to find a time block, a slot of opportunity to work towards it. Unless the intention is a character intention (for example, be more assertive), then we only need to remember it and take action towards it.
Expect Obstacles: When we set our new intention, our gaze is rose-tinted, filled with illusion, and we forget that nothing is quite as straight forward as we hope it will be. So ask yourself: how will you carry through if you’re sick, if you’re overwhelmed, when things don’t go according to plan etc.?
Accountability: This is the game changer. Some form of accountability: self-accountability through tracking (I am a big fan of streaks, and weekly check-ins), and external accountability by working with a coach, mentor, accountability partner.
“We desire an exciting future, but the demand for familiar and comfortable tempers our steps to the point that often our steps are little more than stepping in place.”
Craig D. Lounsbrough
When putting together a plan, simplicity triumphs.
Simple like 10 minutes of Swedish per day, or 30 minutes of running 2X per week, or writing one fiction story per month.
Ideally we want it to be time-bound (depends what the intention is), realistic, and easy to track.
There are 3 main reasons why people quit: forgetting, lack of discipline, lack of alignment. In other words, forgetting (not front of mind), lack of discipline (too hard, too strenuous), lack of alignment (didn’t really want it in the first place).
Too often we think it’s lack of discipline that holds us back. Though that can be the case (especially when you set the bar too high, like when I wanted to start 5 new habits in one go), more frequently we don’t keep our new intention because we forget about it.
You go back to your regular day-to-day and that new intention fades away. Nothing reminds you of it, and therefore, why would you follow through?
To keep it front of mind:
Post-it
Poster (vision board)
Background on phone/PC
Daily, weekly, monthly check-ins
If all you do is: set an intention + keep it front of mind, you are already stacking the cards in your favour. It can work wonders!
Now we’re diving into the nitty gritty of it all: identity.
When we set goals that are too much of a stretch, that don’t match the definition and the vision we have of ourselves, we don’t follow through.
If you believe deep down that you are terrible at languages and that you could never learn a new language, it doesn’t matter how often you decide to learn Spanish, you won’t do it, because you don’t think you can.
James Clear explains that there are three layers to goal setting: Identity - Processes - Outcomes
In order to reach the outcomes you are after, you need to look one step behind (processes: plan, accountability, systems, tracking…) and then another step behind that (identity & beliefs).
When you’re clear on the direction you want to move in: ask yourself: ‘What type of person do I need to become in order to reach that goal?’
Then prove to yourself that you can be that person through EASY WINS.
And I mean Easy! Because my clients are all high achievers, they always set the bar too high. That’s great as a vision & direction but we want to start in an easy to prove that we can follow through.
For instance, when I started meditating, I struggled to be consistent so I decided to meditate 5 minutes each day (easy!) and then after months of consistency, only then did I increase the meditation time. It worked! I now have a streak of 5 years of daily meditation, and it started with easy wins!
If you worry too much about results, you will easily become discouraged. Shift the focus to identity: Who do you need to become? Prove to yourself that you can be that person through easy wins.
“The greatest force in the universe is the need to remain consistent with our identity.”
Tony Robbins
As soon as you set your new intention, take action.
I remember the year I decided to write more fiction. On the 1st of January, I wrote a short story of a few pages. I started on a win, it set the tone for the year ahead.
Another year, when I decided to commit more seriously to cooking, I prepared a new dish for several hours on the 1st of January.
First week of January, take action. Use that motivation to build some momentum.
And then… Keep at it!
Through: planning, accountability, tracking your progress, keep going!
Find the time slot that works best for you, decide on the process & system you want to use, track your wins, become that person you want to be and keep moving!
Momentum is built through taking action, seeing the progress and continuing.
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
Last but not least, track your progress.
Track your wins. Track your struggles. Track when you fall. Track when you succeed. Track what works for you. Track what doesn’t.
Break down your goals into key habits (daily, weekly), and keep track of them.
For tracking, some of the best methods:
Journaling
Daily check-ins
Habit trackers
Garmin (for fitness goals)
Celebrate!
Some of the tools you can use:
Gantt Charts
KPIs
Kanban Boards
Time Tracking
SMART Goals
“Change doesn’t come in nickels and dimes. It comes in dedication and sweat.”
Toni Sorenson
If you are craving a transformation in any area of your life, use the New Year as a trampoline to boost your motivation, energy and fuel to take action!
1. Set the intention
2. Plan ahead
3. Keep it front of mind!
4. Create Accountability
5. Shift your Identity
6. Take Ation
7. Track your Progress
You’ve got this! Happy New Year!!
Enjoy the journey,
Katie
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