5 Ways to Make Healthy Habits Stick After New Year

The 2024 Forbes Health/One Poll survey shows the average resolution lasts just 3.74 months. By the time January ends, 92% of Pollers have given up their New Year’s Resolutions. But you can beat these odds with these five habit-sticking tips:

1. Don’t do too much

Many people try to do too much too soon, get overwhelmed, and give up. Build lasting healthy habits by starting small. James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, which has sold 25 million copies, recommends making tiny habit changes to sustainably improve 1%/day.

Research in PLoS One suggests action-oriented goals are 58.9% more likely to result in success after a year than the avoidance-oriented goals’ success rate of 47.1%. So, pick one small new action habit. Be specific about how you will practice it regularly.

2. Attach new habits to existing habits

New habits can work for you much more easily when you attach them to existing ones. For example, if you want to stretch daily to reduce neck and back pain, do the stretches in bed when you first wake up, before getting out of bed, or before you close your eyes to go to sleep for 5-10 minutes. If you make the commitment to yourself to not get out of bed or go to sleep until you stretch, you can make it easier to do the habit daily. Every time you see your bed, you are reminded to do your stretches.

3. Set realistic expectations

The University of Pennsylvania’s “megastudy” of behavior change shows it takes at least 46 days to make a new habit stick, so give yourself seven weeks to make your new habit sustainable. Remember, you may have to experiment to get your new habits regularly within your lifestyle.

When things get busy, and you haven’t followed your plan? Take a timeout. Take five minutes to review the results you want from changing your lifestyle and why it matters to you. Let yourself feel the emotion of having what you want deeply. (See tip #5 below, writing down the results you want).

According to Forbes, June 1st is unofficially known by many as “New Year’s Resolution Recommitment Day,” but you don’t have to wait six months to take stock and reset. Remember, failure is an opportunity to learn. Assess what worked, what didn’t and how you can help yourself or ask for help from others to get your results.

4. Celebrate your wins

Without tracking and rewarding your progress, giving up can be easier. Track your progress, plan how you will acknowledge and celebrate your milestones regularly.

5. Write down the results you want

Visualize and write down in specific detail how your new habit will improve your life and why it matters to you. Keep what you wrote and review it often for self-motivation. Consider sharing your vision with a close friend and inviting them to share theirs with you so you can support and celebrate each other’s efforts and progress.