Habits · 8 min read

25 realistic New Year's resolution ideas (and a plan for each)

Short answer: the resolutions that last are small, specific and scheduled. Instead of “get fit”, pick “a 15-minute workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00”. Below are 25 ideas, each turned into a realistic version you can start on 1 January, and the one sentence that turns it into a plan in Tudots.

What makes a resolution realistic

• It's something you do, not something you stop. “Walk after lunch” beats “stop being lazy”. In a large study, people with these “do” goals were more successful a year later.
• It fits your worst day. Ten pages, not a chapter. Five minutes, not an hour. You can grow it once it sticks.
• It has a time and a place. “After coffee, at 7:00, in the living room.” The decision is already made when the day gets busy.

25 resolution ideas, made realistic

Health and fitness

• Exercise moreA 15-minute workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00Tell the Dots: “Start exercising on 1 January: 3 short morning workouts a week, start tiny”
• Stretch every day5 minutes of stretching after waking upTell the Dots: “5 minutes of stretching every morning after waking, for 30 days”
• Walk moreA 20-minute walk after lunch on weekdaysTell the Dots: “Walk 20 minutes after lunch every weekday from January”
• Run your first 5KThree run-walk sessions a week for 8 weeksTell the Dots: “Make me a beginner 5K plan, 3 days a week, starting 1 January”
• Sleep betterPhone away and lights out by 23:00 on weeknightsTell the Dots: “Remind me to put my phone away at 22:30 every weeknight”
• Drink more waterA glass of water with every mealTell the Dots: “Remind me to drink a glass of water at breakfast, lunch and dinner”

Mind and learning

• Read more10 pages in bed every evening, growing slowlyTell the Dots: “Make me an 8-week reading plan: 10 pages before bed, build up slowly”
• Meditate5 minutes after waking up, every dayTell the Dots: “A 5-minute meditation every morning after waking, for 30 days”
• Learn a language10 minutes of Spanish after lunchTell the Dots: “Plan 10 minutes of Spanish practice after lunch every day for 3 months”
• JournalThree lines before bedTell the Dots: “Remind me to write three lines in my journal every evening at 21:30”

Money

• Save moneyMove €50 to savings on every paydayTell the Dots: “Remind me to move €50 to savings on the 1st of every month”
• Spend less on takeawayCook at home Monday to ThursdayTell the Dots: “Plan a home-cooked dinner every Monday to Thursday”
• Know where your money goesCheck last week's spending every Sunday, 10 minutesTell the Dots: “Every Sunday at 18:00: check my spending for 10 minutes”
• Pay off a credit cardA fixed extra payment on paydayTell the Dots: “Remind me on payday every month to pay extra on my card”

People

• Call family moreA call with your parents every SundayTell the Dots: “Remind me to call my parents every Sunday at 11:00”
• See friends moreOne plan with a friend every second weekendTell the Dots: “Every second Friday, remind me to make plans with a friend”
• Phone-free dinnersPhones in another room during dinnerTell the Dots: “Remind me to put the phones away at 19:00 every evening”
• Say thank you moreOne thank-you message every FridayTell the Dots: “Every Friday afternoon: send one thank-you message”

Home and habits

• Be tidier10 minutes of tidying after dinnerTell the Dots: “10 minutes of tidying after dinner every evening”
• Less phone timePhone in a drawer at 21:30, book insteadTell the Dots: “Remind me to put my phone in the drawer at 21:30”
• Cook moreTry one new recipe every weekendTell the Dots: “Every Saturday: pick and cook one new recipe”
• Plan your daysPlan tomorrow tonight, in 5 minutesTell the Dots: “Every evening at 21:00: plan tomorrow in 5 minutes”

Work and growth

• Learn a skill15 minutes of guitar every eveningTell the Dots: “Make me a 12-week beginner guitar plan, 15 minutes every evening”
• Finish a side projectTwo focused hours every Saturday morningTell the Dots: “Plan my side project: two hours every Saturday morning until March”
• Take real breaksA 5-minute break away from the screen at 11:00 and 15:00Tell the Dots: “Remind me to take a 5-minute break at 11:00 and 15:00 every workday”

Example: an 8-week plan to read more

A real plan the Dots built from one sentence: “My New Year's resolution is to read more books. Make me an 8-week reading plan starting on 1 January: every evening before bed, start with 10 pages and build up slowly.” It starts with 10 pages, adds a little every week, keeps a slightly longer read on Sundays, and leaves an evening off most weeks, ending at 30 pages a night.

Every evening at 21:30, with a reminder, in bed, phone out of reach.

How to pick the right one

1. Which change would make the biggest difference to your year? Start there, not with the easiest one.
2. What's the smallest version you'd still do on a bad day? That's your week 1.
3. When exactly will you do it? Tie it to something you already do: coffee, lunch, brushing your teeth.

Then read how to keep your New Year's resolutions for the seven steps that get you past February, and see how many days are left in the year.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good New Year's resolution?

One that is small, specific and scheduled: an action you can do on your worst day, with a fixed time and place. “A 15-minute walk after lunch on weekdays” works; “get healthier” doesn't tell you what to do on a Tuesday.

How many resolutions should I make?

One, maybe two. Every new habit needs attention. Get one running on autopilot, then add the next.

When should I start?

On 1 January, or on any fresh start: a Monday, the first of a month or a birthday. Researchers call this the fresh start effect; a new beginning makes it easier to change.

I already broke my resolution. Is it too late?

No. Make it smaller and start again on the next Monday. Missing a day barely matters; what ends a habit is quitting after the miss.

Sources

• Oscarsson, M., Carlbring, P., Andersson, G. & Rozental, A. (2020). A large-scale experiment on New Year's resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLOS ONE, 15(12).
• Dai, H., Milkman, K. & Riis, J. (2014). The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60(10).

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