There are hundreds of thousands of articles on New Year’s resolutions, but this guide focuses on one technique that outperforms all other techniques combined.
The best part? It takes less than 5 minutes when done right. Let’s jump into what the technique is and why it works.
How to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution
Here’s the one technique you need to stick to your New Year’s Resolution:
Put it on your calendar.
I’ll break down how to do this effectively, but that’s really it. So, how do you make this work easily?
1. Make a Plan and Put It on Your Calendar
To turn your resolution into reality, break it down into actionable steps and schedule them. Don’t leave it to chance or “when you have time.”
For example, if your goal is to “get in shape,” plan specific workout sessions. Block them on your calendar just like you would a meeting. Think of it as a meeting with yourself from the future, the future version of you that stuck to all your goals 💪
Here’s an example where I’ve planned specific times for workouts in blue:
You can manually time block these tasks into your calendar, or use a tool like FlowSavvy to automate your scheduling. With FlowSavvy, you just enter what you want to get done, and FlowSavvy finds time in your schedule for you, so you don’t have to worry about how to get everything done.
2. Reduce Distractions
You blocked off time on your calendar to work on your resolution, and now it’s that time. The most impactful thing you can do to make yourself more likely to follow through on this is to eliminate anything that could derail your focus. This might mean putting your phone in another room and blocking websites that normally distract you.
The key is allowing yourself to be bored instead of instantly turning to distractions like your phone. When you allow yourself to be bored, the work you need to do will become the most interesting thing, and it will naturally be easier to focus on that.
3. Get an Accountability Partner
Planning time on your calendar and then removing distractions when the time comes is a simple, effective way to follow through on your New Years Resolution. If you need an extra push to stay focused, get an accountability partner.
Share your resolution with a friend or family member, and ask them to check in with you regularly. When you know someone will be checking in on you, that external pressure can help you follow through.
If you don’t feel comfortable asking a friend or family member to keep you accountable, you can use online accountability groups like Flow.Club and FocusMate.
Why This System Works
Think about if you overheard two people, Sally and Alex, saying the following:
Alex: “For my New Year’s Resolution, I’m going to run 1 mile some time every week.”
Sally: “For my New Year’s Resolution, I blocked off 2-3pm every Wednesday in my calendar for practicing Spanish.”
Who do you think is more likely to make time for their New Year’s Resolution? Even if Alex is serious about his resolution, he has to find time for it every week, whereas Sally has already blocked out time for it in her calendar.
This system works because when your plan is on your calendar, you have to plan the rest of your activities around your existing time blocks. Studies like this one from filtered.com have even found time boxing to be the #1 most effective productivity method.
Wrapping Up
If you’ve struggled with New Year’s resolutions before, this is your year. Don’t rely on willpower or wait for motivation. Instead, create a plan, schedule it on your calendar, and then follow through when the time comes by eliminating distractions and using an accountability partner.
If you want your schedule created for you and adjusted automatically as plans change, try the automatic planner, FlowSavvy!