Ditch The Resolution Guilt: How To Get More Done With Less Stress This Year
The second Friday in January is known by some as “quitting day”, where many of those that set New Year’s resolutions give up on them. Statistics show that only 6-8% of people stick to their resolutions for the whole year, and the majority of people quit in the first few months (or weeks!) Why is that?
The simple explanation is that it is our natural instinct to seek quick rewards by the easiest means possible. So, a long, difficult process with a delayed reward goes against our physiology, and willpower alone can only take us so far. Unless we have a significant and emotionally-driven reason to change, such as a health crisis or financial threat, we don’t usually stay motivated for long, which sets us up for failure.
So, should we give up on self-improvement? Absolutely not! I think we just need to accept some of the limitations of being human, and approach change in a more fitting way. That is, focus on shorter-term, more achievable goals, with more immediate rewards. While there are many ways to do this, here is my suggestion:
Each morning, think of ONE simple and achievable goal for that day. It doesn’t have to be related to any particular theme or overall goal, such as weight-loss or changing a habit. It can be related to anything in your life - the more random, the better! For example, it could be to eat a healthy lunch; to avoid social media for a day; to clean out that closet; to write that email; to make that phone call; to go for a walk at lunchtime; to do 10 push-ups; make that appointment (wink!); or to do whatever silly little thing that you’ve been avoiding for months. It really doesn't matter what it is, as long as it is doable with relatively little effort. The idea is to take a moment at the start of the day, and decide on something positive that you could do to give yourself a win each day.
Now, these small, micro-goals may not seem as lofty as, say, losing 50lbs by June. But health and happiness is not only measured by step counts and pounds lost. Happiness comes in many forms and from many directions. No matter how small each daily goal seems, it just feels good to achieve something for yourself each day, and imagine how all of these little wins would add up over time!
Using myself as an example, in the last fews days, I made a call to someone that I have been meaning to call for weeks. (They were so glad that I reached out, and I felt great that I finally did it.) The following day, I stayed off social media for the day. (What a peaceful and productive day that was!) The next day, I got started on preparing my taxes. None of it felt very difficult because it was just one small task each day. But as I look back, I feel like I accomplished a lot - certainly more than I might have otherwise.
What does this have to do with chiropractic? I guess it could help reduce someone’s stress, which may help relieve some tension. But my goal for this day was to write about this concept and share it in case it helps someone else the way that it has helped me.
Here are some additional tips:
Keep each goal simple. The idea is to set yourself up for a win each day, not a struggle.
We all have many things to do each day, but try to keep this one goal as something slightly different from the usual, daily routine.
Write down each daily goal, and keep a list of all the wins. It’s always nice to look back on all the things you’ve accomplished.
If you don’t achieve what you set out to for the day, don’t sweat it. And don’t use the same goal for the following day. There’s probably a reason it didn’t work out, so let it go and move on!
If you get side-tracked with life and forget about all this for a while, remember that it’s easy to get back into it at any time.
Try it out for a few days, and see if you enjoy it. If you do, keep it going. If not, maybe it’s not for you.
Happy 2026!
Dr. Toner