Harold Robert Meyer and The ADD Resource Center 01/01/2025
The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions often sets us up for disappointment right from the start. Many people make sweeping declarations on January 1st without considering the psychology of habit formation or the practical challenges they’ll face. The arbitrary timing of these resolutions can be problematic – there’s nothing inherently special about January 1st that makes it more conducive to change than any other date.
The pressure to transform multiple aspects of life simultaneously can be overwhelming. When people compile extensive lists of changes they want to make, they often spread their willpower and resources too thin, making failure more likely across all goals. This ties into another key issue: resolutions tend to be overly ambitious and lacking in specific, actionable steps.
Many resolutions also fail because they focus on negative aspects or deprivation rather than positive growth. For instance, someone might resolve to “stop being lazy” instead of “build an energizing morning routine.” This negative framing can be demotivating and counterproductive.
The public nature of New Year’s resolutions can create additional pressure. When we announce our intentions to others, we sometimes get a premature sense of accomplishment that paradoxically makes us less likely to follow through. Moreover, comparing our resolutions to others’ can lead to adopting goals that don’t truly align with our personal values and circumstances.
The “fresh start” mindset associated with New Year’s resolutions can actually be harmful. It can lead to an “all or nothing” mentality where a single slip-up feels like complete failure, rather than viewing personal growth as a continuous journey with natural ups and downs.
Research shows that lasting change typically requires careful planning, sustainable strategies, and realistic timelines – elements often missing from spontaneous New Year’s resolutions. Instead of waiting for January 1st, it’s more effective to make changes when you’re truly ready and have thoroughly prepared for the challenges ahead.
The calendar-based approach to goal-setting can also cause people to delay important changes. Someone might recognize in October that they need to make a change but decide to “wait until New Year’s,” losing valuable time they could have spent working toward their goals.
Additionally, the New Year’s resolutions tradition can create a cycle of self-blame and decreased self-confidence. When resolutions inevitably fall through, people often internalize the failure rather than recognizing that the system itself might be flawed.
A Better Approach: The Smart Person’s Guide to Personal Growth
Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, consider these more effective strategies for creating lasting change:
- Practice continuous improvement by setting small, achievable goals throughout the year. When you notice an area that needs change, start immediately rather than waiting for an arbitrary date.
- Use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to structure your goals. For example, instead of “get fit,” try “walk for 20 minutes three times per week for the next month.”
- Focus on building systems rather than setting goals. Create daily habits that naturally lead to your desired outcomes. For instance, design a sustainable meal plan and exercise routine rather than targeting a specific weight loss.
- Implement the “two-minute rule” – start with habits that take just two minutes to complete. This builds momentum and makes change less overwhelming. Want to read more? Start with reading just one page per day.
- Track your progress privately using a journal or app, rather than announcing your intentions publicly. This keeps you accountable to yourself and helps you identify patterns in your behavior.
- Embrace the concept of “atomic habits” – tiny changes that compound over time. Small improvements of just 1% can lead to significant results over months and years.
- Plan for obstacles in advance by using “if-then” scenarios. For example: “If I’m too tired to go to the gym after work, then I’ll do a 10-minute home workout instead.”
Remember, meaningful change doesn’t require a new year – it requires a new mindset and a practical, sustainable approach to personal growth. Start small, stay consistent, and trust the process of gradual improvement.
© 2025 The ADD Resource Center. All rights reserved. 1/1/2025
About the author: Harold Meyer is a leading ADHD expert and author whose work spans books, articles, and practical guides. As a pre-publication reviewer and ADHD Coach Expert, he has shaped contemporary understanding of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. His insights have been featured in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, the BBC, and at major ADHD conferences, where he regularly speaks about ADHD.
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About New Year’s Resolutions
Cheers to a new year!
I don’t call them New Year’s resolutions. I prefer the term “casual promises to myself that I’m under no legal obligation to fulfill.”
I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.
My New Year’s resolution was to stop saying “You go, girl” to myself.
My wife challenged me to make New Year’s resolutions I can keep. So I’m determined and committed to becoming fatter, lazier, and older this year.
Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
I set out a box of donuts at work today just to see how many New Year’s resolutions I could mess with.
You know how I always dread the whole year? Well, this time [my New Year’s resolution is] I’m only going to dread one day at a time.
Dieting on New Year’s Day isn’t a good idea as you can’t eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.
I decided to break all my resolutions early, so I can start enjoying the rest of the year.
New Year Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.
May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.
New Year’s resolutions work like this: you think of something you enjoy doing and then resolve to stop doing it.
Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year’s resolutions, and I’ve stuck with it ever since.
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