Why You Should Keep Making New Year’s Resolutions Despite (Almost) Never Keeping Them

If insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then making New Year’s resolutions seems to be pretty crazy. And when you consider the irrationality of letting a random date on the calendar have so much influence on your behavior, it gets even more insane.

Yet most of us still do it. We enter every year determined to make a fresh start, whether it’s finally breaking a bad habit, firmly establishing a healthy and productive one, or tackling a long-dreamt project. In my own case, I love to view January 1 as a blank page on which I feel I can write any story I wish, and I have the confidence that this time it will be different.

Because I’m self-employed, I’m in control of my daily schedule while I am not traveling to work with clients, so most of my resolutions center around productive work habits, such as scheduling blocks of time for writing or prospecting, or reducing distractions such as social media.

I can’t speak for others, but I’m probably typical: I have never had a year where I stuck faithfully to every resolution I made. On some rare occasions I actually see a lasting change in my habits, but mostly I stick with a few for more than a month or two, and the great majority are only embarrassing memories after just a few short days.

And I fully expect the same thing will happen with the resolutions I’ve made this year—but I still have made some ambitious resolutions and plans and next year I will do it again.

Why?

Because while hope is not a strategy, it is still a precious asset to have. Trying is better than not trying. I don’t want to be one of those sad people who have given up hope of getting better, or who have let the pressures of everyday living overwhelm their vision of what is personally possible. I know a bunch of these folks, and I refuse to be like them.

I also do it because it does work. According to one study, people who make resolutions are almost twelve times as likely to be successful after six months than non-resolvers. And I’ve seen it in my own life. Just last year I resolved to start a podcast, and I produced 44 episodes during 2018. The three books I’ve written have all been conceived as part of a resolution for the relevant year. (And I resolve to write one more this year.)

I do it because it’s always healthy to take stock of who you are, where you are, and compare it to who and where you want to be. Because you can’t embrace the chase without having something distant and worthwhile to pursue. Because each small win and each additional day sticking to the resolution can be so personally satisfying.

So, call me crazy if you will, but I am making fresh resolutions again this year—and this time I expect different results!