Realizable New Years Resolutions — Taking on One (Tiny) New Thing

Many times we make resolutions based around elimination or stopping a bad habit. 

“I will stop drinking,” or, “I will eliminate sugar,” or “I’ll quit doomscrolling.”

There’s nothing wrong with those on the surface. But if we haven’t setup our environment correctly, or we cannot avoid the environment, you’ll keep hitting the same triggers and your willpower won’t be enough. Stress. Fatigue. The fridge. The phone. The friends. The Friday night routine. You can’t white-knuckle your way through a life that keeps handing you the same temptation.

So don’t start with elimination. Start with addition. 

Just take on one new thing. Something small and easy (maybe even silly), but feeds right into where you’re trying to get to. Every other drink at the bar is a club soda with lime. Ten pushups before you get in the shower. Carrots with your cookie. A walk after lunch. Sleep with your phone in a different room. 

One tiny addition becomes a foothold and that foothold becomes traction. 

You don’t have to become a new person in January. 

You have as much time as you need.