Streamers, champagne, confetti, and aspirations; the mark of a successful New Years Eve. But now that bottles are empty, the countdown is over, and January has begun, what lies ahead for your new year?  

The new year has a reputation for fresh starts, resolutions, and goal making. Millions of Americans take a step back and reflect on the year behind them and what they will work on going forth. This practice is good, in theory, but also puts a lot of pressure on the resolutions people create.  

Oftentimes, resolution-makers succumb to the heavy pressure and fail to reach their resolutions. To avoid this, let’s explore some different approaches to successful goal-making in the new year.  

The History and Psychology Behind New Years 

The idea of a “New Year” traces all the way back to the ancient Babylonians. According to History: 

“They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year… During a massive 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. … If the Babylonians kept to their word, their (pagan) gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor—a place no one wanted to be.”  

Ancient Rome took on similar traditions and other New Year traditions were seen throughout the history of Christianity as well. New Year’s resolutions, like many things in history, started in religion but have developed to become a secular tradition for more than half of Americans.  

In an episode exploring the psychology behind New Year’s, Jemma Sbeg, host of the Spotify podcast The Psychology of Your 20s, says, “This kind of distinct start of a new chapter, of a new year, you know the clock kind of ticks over into a new calendar, it feels like a natural time to make this change, there really is no better time than the beginning of a new year. I think this is the marvel and significance to making massive changes to our daily lives and overall lifestyles.”  

Sbeg continues breaking down resolutions and the types of goals that Americans were setting each year, finding that most resolutions were related to physical health, but career and financial goals were also a major piece of the resolution game. Some other small percentages of goals were social, such as finding new love, new friends, and focused on emotional health, like taking more breaks, reading, or starting therapy.  

Now, we understand why the idea of a new year and fresh start appeal so greatly to us, where the New Years tradition of creating resolutions comes from, and why resolutions often end in failure. But how do we use this new year as a source of motivation and create and stick to the goals we establish? 

How to Create AND Stick to Your New Years Goals 

Creating goals for the new year is absolutely not for everyone. Some people don’t feel like the new year being a fresh start is an accurate representation of January 1. Many believe it is just another day and that is okay! However, if you are anything like 50% of America, using the new year as a source of motivation for self-improvement, understanding the best way to make goals and then stick to them for yourself can be extremely beneficial.  

At the end of the day, each person needs a different set of steps to create and be persistent with their goals. Here are some outlined steps to help you this year. Take what makes sense for you and change what doesn’t. It may take some time, but once you understand the best way to make goals for you, you will find much more success in your resolutions!  

Step 1: Reflect 

Take some time to look back at the previous two or three years. You’ve changed a lot in this short amount of time! What have you learned? What have you improved? What struggles have you overcome? Look back on pictures, journals, or any other record keeper and see what you are satisfied with. Now, what do you still want more of? Do you wish you had more money in your savings? Want to take a hobby more seriously? Better your relationships? 

Step 2: Forget “Resolutions” 

As stated before, resolutions made by Americans are known for failing. This reputation puts a lot of pressure on the term “resolution” and turns a lot of people off from making New Years goals altogether. What we are making are not “resolutions” but instead strides to improving in the areas in your life. We are making goals for you to better yourself. This simple rephrasing can take away from the pressure of “achieving resolutions” and instead now you are striving for personal goals. 

Step 3: Narrow Your Goals 

Most people don’t just have one area in their life they would like to improve. If you ask someone random on the street, they could probably list upwards of 50 different things they would like to improve or do in the new year. But we can’t make all of these goals happen all at once. Instead, let’s narrow it down to a couple of things to focus on in the new year.  

Step 4: Set with S.M.A.R.T. 

S.M.A.R.T. goals is a goal making strategy that focuses on setting, planning, and sticking to your aspirations. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. While you think about your goals, consider setting them using these five categories!  

Ex: Instead of “I want to be more fit this new year,” using S.M.A.R.T. we can say, “I would like to become stronger in the gym this year. I will do this by lifting weights three times a week after my final class on MWF at my college’s recreational facility. If I can lift 20 more pounds of weight by the end of the year, I will have completed my goal.”  

Using this method not only starts a planning process but also gives you the first steps to holding yourself accountable.  

Step 5: Make a Plan and Stick to it 

Creating this S.M.A.R.T. goal is the first step to your plan. You have a roadmap—you know what you want to complete, the specifics of how you will complete it, how to measure it, that it’s achievable and relative, and when you want it to be completed. You can stop here and call it a day, or you can expand upon your goal with specific strategies and tactics that will hold you accountable and push you along the way.  

Maybe you will write down a schedule implementing weekly time for your goal. Ask friends and family to hold you accountable in achieving various steps in your plan. Create a vision board and leave sticky notes to motivate yourself.  

Digital Corps New Year Goals 

Some Digital Corps User Experience team members wanted to show off their New Years Goals using the S.M.A.R.T. goal strategy! Here is what they had to say:  

Jake Klug, UX Specialist said,  

“My goal is to graduate at the end of this semester!  

S: finish undergrad with a bachelor’s degree in-hand. I would also like to keep my grades where they are currently. 
M: do I have a degree (yes/no)? 
A: I’ve been working at this for a while now, so I think this is achievable. 
R: this is a necessary step in my plans for entering a master’s program. 
T: must be done by commencement in May.” 

Christian Johnson, UX apprentice said,  

“My goal is to finish writing my book! 

S: Finish writing the first draft before the end of the year. 
M: Set aside a couple of hours to write a few chapters each month. 
A: I plan on having a good number of chapters to write and I definitely believe it’s achievable. 
R: It gives me an outlet from the stresses of school. 
T: I have all year so if I don’t, I will be big mad at myself” 

Jaiden Shortt, UX Apprentice said,  

“I have 3 main goals this semester: 

•  I want to lose some weight and increase my health in general by working out at the rec center 3 days a week as well as tracking my daily food and water intake.  

• I want to explore my interests and read for fun again by checking out new books from the library and trying to read them before they’re due.   

• Lastly, I want to maintain As and Bs throughout the semester by rekindling my spark for learning and working time for studying and homework into my schedule.” 

As we enter the new year and ideas for goals flow, remember to give yourself time and grace to complete these aspirations. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a new habit can’t be created that quickly either. You got this!