It's a New Year! 6 Fresh Ways to Make Resolutions that You'll Actually Stick With

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There’s something magical about seeing a whole year stretched out in front of you, isn’t there? A clean slate. Fresh possibilities. That “maybe this year will be different energy”.

As a coach, this is one of my absolute favorite seasons because you can feel the potential bubbling up everywhere.

But let’s be real: Most of us greet the New Year by making a giant list of everything “wrong” with us and trying to overhaul our entire personality by January 2nd. Then we wonder why we lose steam before February.

Here’s why: change is hard. Even the patterns we don’t like are working for us in some way, so letting them go takes intention, structure, and a lot of kindness toward ourselves. But it doesn’t have to feel heavy or impossible. Let’s reframe resolutions into something fun and actually doable.

Here are six fresh ways to create a resolution you’ll actually keep this year:

1. Pick a Resolution That’s Just for Fun

One year, I was tired of complicated goals and decided my only resolution would be to make my daughter laugh every single day. That’s it.

And you know what? It changed everything.

It strengthened our bond and reminded me that resolutions can be small, joyful commitments that light us up rather than weigh us down. Whether it’s reading a book a week, trying something new each month, or dancing in your kitchen every morning, your resolution can simply make you smile.

2. Create a "No List"

Resolutions don’t have to be about what to add—try making a list of things you’re refusing to do this year.

Your “no” list might include:
🚫 Last-minute meetings or projects
🚫 Running forgotten lunches to school
🚫 Over-scheduling Sunday evenings
🚫 Hanging out with people who drain your energy

These boundaries protect your time and energy so you can focus on what truly matters.

3. Make a "Yes List"

Your “Yes List” helps guide where you want your energy to go.

Run opportunities or goals through these questions:
✔ Is it easy (for you)?

✔ Is it fun (or fun enough)?

✔ Is it doable (in your current season)?

If it’s a yes to these, it’s more likely you’ll follow through—without resentment.

4. Create a "Best Moments" List

Inspired by John Acuff’s All It Takes is a Goal (highly recommend!), reflect on the best moments of your life, big or small, to see what lights you up.

You might notice patterns:
✨ Time with family and friends
✨ Creative projects
✨ Spontaneous adventures
✨ Helping others

Your resolutions can then aim to create more of these moments in your life this year.

5. Anchor Resolutions in Your Family Values

If you’re making family resolutions, start by identifying your family’s core values. Ours include freedom and space, fun and creativity, family and community, and abundance.

When you know your values, your resolutions become clearer:
💛 If you value creativity: support your child’s dream of performing at an open mic.
💛 If you value freedom: designate Saturday mornings as “do-whatever-you-want” time.
💛 If you value community: plan monthly family dinners or service projects.

When your goals align with your values, they feel energizing, not heavy.

6. Commit to Your "Highest Self"

We all have different versions of ourselves:
✨ Our highest self: patient, creative, aligned.
😎 Our middle self: trying our best, human.
😬 Our lowest self: reactive, drained.

Your resolution can support you in showing up as your highest self more often, whether it’s carving out quiet time, creating daily, or practicing presence with your family.

And when you slip, you can gently remind yourself, “Ah, that was my lower self. How can I get back to my highest self?”

Here’s to a Very You New Year

This year, let’s make resolutions that help you show up brighter, bigger, and more you. Whether it’s a fun habit, a boundary-setting “no,” or a commitment to your highest self, you deserve to be a priority in your own life.

Here’s to a year filled with possibility. 💛