A New Approach to Resolution Setting

Over the next week I’ll be appearing on TV and radio talking about New Year’s Resolutions—how to make them and, more importantly, how to keep them. This isn’t because I have superhuman willpower. I don’t. What I am good at is setting myself up so success is the most likely outcome. That’s the secret. A little grit. Some motivation. Alot of design.

I’ll admit I don’t love the phrase New Year’s Resolutions. It feels rigid and faintly doomed. We already know most people abandon them within weeks. I’m not interested in starting the year with a countdown to disappointment.
What I do believe in is vision, momentum, and the idea that we don’t have to accept the status quo just because it’s familiar. So call it a reset, a reframe, or nothing at all. What matters is how you begin.

First, language matters. I frame goals in ways that pull me forward instead of scolding me from behind. Take exercise—half of Americans say “exercise more” is their top goal. But that’s vague and joyless. Instead, I get specific. Do I want more energy? A stronger heart? To feel capable in my body? Clarity fuels discipline.

Then I break goals into micro-steps I know I’ll actually do. Honesty matters here. If mornings aren’t your thing, don’t pretend they’ll magically become one. If motivation is hard to summon, borrow it—join a class, make a date, create structure.

I write the goal down. Dreams float. Plans land.

It also has to be interesting—ideally fun. Life is too short for self-improvement that feels like punishment. And on the days I don’t feel like showing up, I do it anyway. That’s how habits form. Discipline isn’t about intensity; it’s about identity.

One last thought: not everything at the start of a year has to be about you. Add something outward-facing—serve someone else, notice kindness, or choose a word to guide the year. A compass, not a checklist.