The Easiest Way to Make Your Resolutions Stick This Year

No matter what your new year’s resolution might be this year—be it exercising more, taking more risks with your home decor, or trying out a few new recipes—we have to admit that they all come with their fair share of challenges. One key issue? Figuring out just how to make time to get everything done.

“Making time for your resolution is one of the most important things you can do to make it stick,” says Katerina Schneider, founder and CEO of multivitamin company Ritual. “Depending on your resolution, you need to determine what works best for your schedule and your personality.”

And this makes sense: If you don’t make time to cook/meditate/exercise like you planned, how will you ever start? Time management is essentially the cornerstone of all successful resolutions, and it’s often the hardest place to begin. To help, we’ve gone to some of the best wellness experts in the business, in order to figure out exactly how to make sure you create the time you need to make your resolutions stick—and finally make 2018 your year.

Figure out whether you’re a morning person or night owl.

While some people swear by their morning workouts, you might find that waking up for an early am sweat session just isn’t for you—and that’s totally okay. “Everyone is different,” says Schneider. “You need to determine if you’re more likely to form a long-lasting habit (eg., going to the gym for a class, taking a walk, etc.) in the morning, during the day, or at night.” Once you figure out when works best, you can make it work with your schedule.

Schedule it in.

Upon realizing what time works well with your busy day, make sure you put it in writing—in your calendar. “Once you’ve determined what works best for you, use a calendar with reminders to keep with it,” elaborates Scheider. “Time blocking is a powerful tool—but it’s important that beyond making time, you are choosing something you believe will have a positive, long-term impact on your health.”

Change your perspective.

A great way to make sure you stick to your goals? By focusing on the fact that it’s something you want to do, as opposed to have to do. Elena Bower, author of Practice You, explains, “This year, instead of looking at what you’d like to evolve as a resolution, think of it as a gift you’re giving your future self. Every time you save a few dollars, you’re paying your future self. Every time you make it to your meditation, you’re nurturing your future self. Every time you eat healing food, you’re nourishing your future self.”

Try the auditing method.

“If your goal is to do something that requires time, take a look at how you use your time, and where you can cut back on certain things,” says Frenchie Ferenczi, Director of Cultural Programming at The William Vale. “Let’s say you want to start cooking more, rather than ordering in—look at the amount of time that you wait for your food to be delivered, and find recipes that you can prepare within that time frame. Most people feel overwhelmed when they think about all the things they have to do, but when you audit your time, you’ll almost always find 10, 20, or 30-minute intervals of time that you can use to meet your goals.”

Learn to say “no.”

A resolution doesn’t just have to work for your benefit—it should be something you want to do as well. “Some great resolutions might be to allow more time for what gives you joy; perhaps that would be reading, cooking, or sleep,” says Emily Heim, Assistant Spa Director and Intentional Living Supervisor at The Spa at Red Rock by Well & Being. “That may require saying ‘No, thank you’ to constant demands of others, or making sure you get out of the office at a reasonable hour.”

And while we know that might take some getting used to, making yourself your number one priority in 2018 should be a goal everyone aspires to.

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