Habits That Stick Past New Year’s

Why Resolutions Fail

Every January, gyms are packed, planners fly off the shelves, and everyone is talking about their “word of the year.” By mid-February? Empty treadmills, abandoned planners, and goals collecting dust.

Most resolutions fail because they’re made under pressure. We try to flip our entire lives overnight — at the same time as everyone else — and then wonder why we can’t keep it up.

But here’s the truth: pressure kills consistency. Change feels impossible when you’ve given yourself no time or space to let it breathe.

The Advantage of Starting Early

When you start building habits before January, you give yourself the greatest gift: more time.

More time means less pressure. Less pressure means more space — mentally and physically — to actually create change that lasts. Instead of forcing a lifestyle overnight, you let it grow naturally.

Think of it like branding vs. trends.

• Trends come and go: the latest diet, the quick fitness challenge, the new app.

• Brands endure: they have identity, values, and consistency that resonate long after the trend fades.

Your habits are the same. Fitness fads and productivity hacks will always cycle in and out. But when you build habits that tie into your identity — into who you believe yourself to be — they stick.

My Personal New Year

My birthday is in August. That’s when I personally set my resolutions. Because for me, that’s my new year — my opportunity to redefine how I show up in every area of my life.

It’s the moment I trust myself most. The version of me that steps forward on my birthday is the one who sets the tone for the next 12 months. That defining point isn’t about a calendar date — it’s about alignment.

That’s why I always say: don’t wait for January. Start now. Give yourself the extra time and space to experiment, adjust, and grow into the version of you who can actually sustain the lifestyle you want. By the time the year flips, you won’t just be starting — you’ll already become that person.

Structured Accountability Works

If you need help getting started, structure is your friend. That’s why challenges like 75 Hard resonate — they create external accountability. But you don’t need to take on something extreme.

Pick one habit that ties back to your bigger life vision. Make it measurable. Then commit to practicing it for the next 30 days.

Examples:

• Health: Daily 20-minute workout or walk.

• Wealth: Automatic savings transfer every payday.

• Self: 10 minutes of journaling or writing each morning.

The habit itself doesn’t matter as much as the identity shift it represents

Reflection Prompt

What’s one habit you can start today that feels more like building a brand than chasing a trend? Write it down, give it a timeline, and commit to practicing it before January/

Closing Note

January is the hardest time to build new habits because the pressure is suffocating. But now? Now is lighter. Now is flexible. Now gives you the breathing room to actually weave change into your lifestyle instead of forcing it like a quick fix.

And that’s the point: trends fade, but identity lasts. The habits you tie to your new identity are the ones that stick.

Over the next 8 Tuesdays, we’ll dig deeper into balance, energy, and the mindset shifts that turn short-term wins into long-term transformations.

Because success isn’t about fads. It’s about creating a life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and undeniably yours. Rich in compensation, richer in life.

Alexis Matthews