How to Follow Through on Your New Year’s Resolutions
Image by Opal Hour Photo
Every January, millions of us set ambitious New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s improving our fitness, focusing on self-care, or pursuing a long-term goal, we start with the best intentions. Yet, by February, many resolutions fall to the wayside.
Why? Because lasting change isn’t about sweeping transformations—it’s about small, consistent actions. The secret to following through on your New Year’s resolutions lies in building habits, routines, and rituals. At LVL Holistics, we believe these three elements are the foundation for staying consistent, feeling grounded, and achieving your goals without burnout.
Let’s explore how they work together to help you stick to your resolutions all year long.
Habits: The Building Blocks of Change
What Are Habits?
Habits are automatic behaviors—actions you perform without much thought. For example, brushing your teeth or grabbing your keys before leaving the house. These small, repetitive actions make up nearly 43% of our daily decisions.
When you intentionally build habits, you create systems that support your goals with less mental effort. Small habits, like drinking water first thing in the morning or doing five minutes of stretching before bed, may not seem significant at first—but over time, they lead to meaningful change.
Why Habits Help You Stick to Resolutions
Automate positive behaviors so they require less willpower.
Reduce decision fatigue by making healthy choices part of your routine.
Build consistency through small, manageable actions.
💡 Pro Tip: Start small. Instead of vowing to “exercise daily,” commit to 10 minutes of movement each morning. Once it becomes a habit, you can build on it.
Routines: The Framework for Consistency
What Are Routines?
Routines are sequences of habits performed regularly. Unlike habits, routines require more conscious planning and intention. For example, a morning routine might include journaling, stretching, and preparing a healthy breakfast.
Routines provide the structure that allows habits to thrive. They reduce the overwhelm of decision-making by creating predictable patterns, helping you stay consistent even when life feels chaotic.
Why Routines Matter for Resolutions
Create stability and structure to support your goals.
Help you stay on track by reducing decision-making fatigue.
Act as a stabilizing force during busy or challenging times.
💡 Pro Tip: Map out a simple routine that aligns with your resolution. If your goal is to prioritize fitness, set a specific time each day to work out and follow the same preparation steps to make it feel automatic.
Rituals: Adding Intention and Meaning
What Are Rituals?
Rituals are mindful, intentional actions that bring meaning to everyday tasks. For example, instead of rushing through your morning coffee, you could turn it into a reflective moment where you set your intention for the day.
Rituals go beyond practicality, helping you feel more grounded and present. They transform ordinary tasks into opportunities for mindfulness and emotional connection, which is key to staying motivated and aligned with your resolutions.
Why Rituals Help You Stay Committed
Foster mindfulness and presence, keeping your goals top of mind.
Provide emotional connection to your actions, making them more rewarding.
Help you feel grounded and centered, even during busy days.
💡 Pro Tip: Pair rituals with routines. For example, if your resolution is to focus on self-care, light a candle or play calming music as part of your evening skincare ritual.
How Habits, Routines, and Rituals Work Together
When you combine habits, routines, and rituals, you create a framework that makes following through on your resolutions easier:
Habits simplify daily actions, reducing the need for motivation.
Routines provide structure, helping you stay consistent.
Rituals add intention and meaning, keeping you emotionally connected to your goals.
Together, they transform your resolutions from fleeting intentions into lasting lifestyle changes.
How LVL Holistics Can Help
At LVL Holistics, we know how challenging it can be to follow through on your resolutions. That’s why we focus on building sustainable change through habits, routines, and rituals in GSD (Get Stuff Done)—our women’s health coaching program designed to help you stay consistent and aligned with your goals.
Here’s how we’ll help you:
Habits: Learn how to build small, automated behaviors that align with your health and wellness goals.
Routines: Create stable, intentional structures that make consistency feel effortless.
Rituals: Add mindfulness and meaning to your day-to-day life for a deeper sense of fulfillment.
Whether your goal is to feel stronger, eat more intuitively, or simply create more balance in your life, these practices will help you make meaningful progress without feeling overwhelmed.
Start Following Through on Your Resolutions Today
Your New Year’s resolutions don’t have to fade away after a few weeks. By focusing on small, powerful actions—habits, routines, and rituals—you can create lasting change and stay committed to your goals all year long.
Ready to make this your most successful year yet? Join GSD and discover how to turn your resolutions into sustainable results. Together, we’ll build the habits, routines, and rituals that make your goals achievable—and help you feel confident and empowered every step of the way.
