A Theme Year for Resolutions

“Not all tools need sharp edges.”  — CGP Grey

It’s the start of a new year, which means it’s time for resolutions. This can either be an exciting prospect or it can induce feelings of impending failure. Neither changes the fact that the previous year is over and it’s time to start anew. If you have not tried it, we propose a new approach to resolutions: The Theme Year.

Setting goals is essential for positive progress. Having no target to aim at will always result in a miss. The cold, hard truth is that the traditional idea of setting resolution goals does not have a high degree of success. Only 7% of people are shown to stick to all their resolutions by years’ end¹. Most people trip right off the starting line, with 23% of people quitting their resolutions by the end of the first week of January, and 43% by the end of the month². With such a high rate of failure, it begs the question: “Why continue to set goals?” The answer is simple: Building the best life possible is always worth the struggle.

Common sense dictates if the traditional model is not working en masse then it is time to try something else. Consider creating a yearly theme as a resolution. For example, choose a theme like “reading” or “health”. The idea is to pick a broad theme that resonates with your brain; not all tools need sharp edges³. Use this theme to help guide decisions during the course of life’s decision tree. Standing in line? If your theme is “reading,” then pull out your book/audio book rather than doing anything else. Choose a salad over a burger. Apply your theme guidance in any situation you can.

The overall idea is to track the trend line rather than individual data points. Is the trend positive? With the above examples, are you reading more or making healthier decisions? If not, modify the approach. The whole point of the theme being broad is because you change and your theme should evolve with you³. Modifying your approach to a theme still allows you success throughout the year. For instance, if the idea of a yearly theme seems too much, break it down into a theme by season. If you are trending negative, what can you modify in your approach? Pick a theme and plan check ins on a schedule which are right for you. Here’s to your theme this year!

Action: Pick a broad theme for this year’s resolution. Use that theme to guide decisions and track the trend line.

Further Reading:

1. Results for YouGov realtime (New Year S Resolutions)
2. Self-Regulatory Goal Motivational Processes in Sustained New Year Resolution Pursuit and Mental Wellbeing
3. Your Theme