7 tips to keep your New Year's resolutions

1. Be behaviour focused

Focus on clearly defined behaviours that include what you will do, how often and when. Rather than ‘drink more water’ or ‘exercise more’, for example, try ‘drink a glass of water before each meal’ or ‘run for 30 minutes every morning’ instead. Focusing on observable behaviours that have a clear frequency and timing makes change measurable and achievable. It also reinforces change, as it’s easier to notice any positive feelings or feedback you get from engaging in the behaviour.

2. Break goals into achievable steps

Large goals can feel inspiring but often result in them being abandoned before you’ve even begun. Break the bigger picture into bite-sized pieces that you can easily achieve. Start by identifying the smallest possible step you can succeed with, such as a five minute walk each day or attending a yoga class once a week. It’s better to make slow progress than none at all. And as each step becomes routine, you can gradually increase the scope of your goal in achievable increments.

3. Monitor progress

Simply keeping track of your behaviour can help change it. Self-monitoring increases follow-through by keeping you aware of what you’re doing. Keep it simple by using a tick chart, tally sheet, notebook or habit app. Without tracking, it’s hard to know what’s working. Monitoring also helps you recognise when you’ve achieved your goal and can set your next one.

4. Enlist a check-in partner

Use your network to hold you accountable. Set up someone to check in with regularly who can help you stay accountable. This might simply involve sending a friend, family member or colleague (perhaps someone with a similar goal) a daily text message to let them know you’ve achieved your goal. Regular check-ins build consistency and remind you that you’re not doing it alone.

5. Use reminders as prompts

Our environment constantly cues our behaviour. Add helpful prompts such as alarms, visual reminders, or laying out materials in advance to increase the likelihood you will follow through. For example, leave your sneakers by the door as a reminder to go for that daily walk. Make the desired behaviour easy to access and hard to forget (or ignore).

6. Celebrate small wins

Behaviour that gets reinforced is more likely to stick, so celebrate each step, not just the end goal. For example, you may reward yourself initially every day when you meet your goal, then over time move this to every second day. Your reinforcement might take the form of a favourite activity, a short break or just a satisfying tick. Think about what feels rewarding to you – this differs for everyone – and keep the reward immediate and big enough that it keeps you motivated.

7. Review and adjust the system, not yourself

If you slip up, it doesn’t mean you have failed. Instead, see it as useful feedback. This is why self-monitoring is so important, as it helps you see if your plan is working. Ask yourself: was the initial goal too challenging? Were the reminders or rewards missing? Did you try to change too many things at once? Adjust your approach and make your system work better for you.