The psychology behind successful New Year’s resolutions
Parkland expert offers advice on making healthier habits stick in 2025
The start of a new year brings fresh motivation and the opportunity to set new goals. Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising regularly, managing stress or improving relationships, New Year’s resolutions often promise a clean slate. But sometimes despite our best intentions, sticking with these goals can be difficult. Josh Briley, PhD, CCTP, FAIS, a clinical psychologist at Parkland Health, helps break down the psychology behind resolutions and offers some advice to making them last.
Many resolutions fail because they rely on motivation rather than consistency. “In my experience, people think of motivation inaccurately. They tell themselves they’ll do something once they are motivated, or that they are waiting for the motivation to strike. But motivation almost never occurs while we are stationary,” said Dr. Briley. “Motivation comes as a result of movement, of progress, then the motivation to continue develops. But even with movement and progress, motivation can wane based on how we are feeling at any given time. That is when discipline and commitment to the goals are important.”
Instead of depending solely on willpower, Dr. Briley recognizes the importance of creating habits that become automatic behaviors through consistency and routine. “Positive changes happen with consistent effort, and sometimes the progress is not as readily apparent to us as it may be to others. Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, we need to make changes to how we are working toward the resolution,” he said.
It’s important to set specific goals that align with your “why,” because successful resolutions are rooted in personal purpose. “The desire for the positive change has to be stronger and stay stronger than the desire for the unhealthy behavior. A common mistake is setting vague resolutions that are too broad and require too many changes at once,” Dr. Briley said. “Set small, specific goals that are attainable and can be built on.”
For example, rather than simply saying you want to lose weight, a goal grounded in “why” might be that you want to feel more energized to play with your children or improve your health to reduce risk factors for chronic disease. Having a clear, personal “why” helps center goals in meaning, making it easier to overcome any setbacks towards reaching them.
With your goals in mind, create a plan that sets you up for success in order to achieve them. “Often, we make a resolution and attempt to implement it immediately. But taking the time to prepare, to figure out exactly what you want to accomplish and how you are going to do it, will give yourself the proper framework to be successful,” Dr. Briley said.
Some ways to help prepare can include consulting with your healthcare provider to create a personal plan for things like weight loss or eating healthier, reading articles, talking to people who have achieved a similar resolution or looking at your schedule and budget to plan for how you are going to free up the resources you need to work toward the resolution, and of course it’s important to remember to be flexible.
Creating new habits is easier when you set up your environment for success and build a support system. One way to do this is to attach new habits to established routines (known as “habit stacking”). For example, if you already have a routine of watching a favorite TV show every evening, during the commercials commit to doing 10 push-ups or squats each break. Additionally, sharing your goals with a friend, family member or support group can increase accountability. “This allows you to encourage and be encouraged and allows for a sense of accountability,” Dr. Briley said.
If reducing stress or anxiety are at the top of your resolution list for 2025, it’s important to note that if it is negatively interfering with your life, such as disrupting your sleep, impacting job performance or adversely effecting your relationships, then it is time to seek professional help. The staff in Parkland’s Behavioral Health Services department is here to support, offering a range of mental health services provided by trauma-informed psychiatrists, behavioral health providers, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses and psychologists.
Finally, it’s important to have self-compassion and recognize that setbacks are a normal part of any behavior change. “There will be days where you oversleep, overeat, or just don’t stick to your plan. Realizing that a setback is not failure is an important component to staying on track. You can easily resume your progress tomorrow,” Dr. Briley said.
Setting resolutions is empowering but turning them into lasting change takes strategy and consistency. By connecting goals to your why, breaking them down into small and achievable steps, creating routines and building a supportive environment you can increase your chances of success.
Parkland is here to support you in your journey toward a healthier 2025 and beyond. For more information about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhealth.org.
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