Blog Post

Your New Year's Pre-Resolution

Michael Ceely • Dec 24, 2020

Tired of New Year's resolutions? Try Pre-Resolutions Instead [& bonus video!]

It's that time of year again… resolution time! Want to actually STICK TO your resolutions this year? Try this simple trick that primes you for success. I call it pre-resolution.

Pre-resolutions are essentially you testing out your resolution BEFORE you declare it. You actually DO IT before say you it, making it "easier done than said."

Before buying a car, you test drive it, right? Same with a resolution. Test it out first. If you hate it, what are the chances you'll do it? Pretty low!

Watch the Video [3:47]

Your Pre-Resolution SOLUTION

Why Normal Resolutions Fail

Did you know that less than 25% of people stay committed to their New Year's resolutions after 30 days? Why? There are two main reasons: pressure and belief.

Most people put way too much pressure on themselves when it comes to New Year's resolutions. They take their resolutions very, very seriously. And that's the problem. They psych themselves out before they even start. With pre-resolutions, it's just an experiment. No pressure, no commitment.

Ever ride a bicycle? Did you believe you could ride it before, or... after you rode it? Of course after. Your body is connected to your brain and until you actually do something, you don't truly believe it's possible. That's the beauty of pre-resolutions: you increase your belief.

Pre-Resolutions - 3 Steps

1. Choose Something that Excites You. You want as much intrinsic motivation as possible. On the days that you don't feel like doing your resolution, you'll still have some drive to do it anyway.

Play around with a few different resolutions, if you like. Remember, you're just experimenting. Have fun.

2. Dive In. Best way to get started is to get started. Remember this is just an experiment. Don't procrastinate by planning or overthinking. For example, let's say you want to start walking 30 minutes a day. Well, go outside RIGHT NOW and walk for 15 minutes.

Take all the pressure off of yourself and simply enjoy your "test walk." Think about how this new habit will improve your life next year. Envision yourself walking daily, feeling healthy all year long. Take it all in and enjoy it.

Now, if you absolutely hated your 15 minute walk, that's good information! You might want to choose a different resolution. But if you actually enjoyed it, you primed your brain for follow-through.

3. Write It Down. As soon as you finish testing out your pre-resolution (and you in fact enjoyed it), then write it down immediately. This is important, as you want to connect your positive emotions to the words you write. Your subconscious mind inscribes your current feelings to the words. Going forward, when you look at your resolution, your brain registers success.

Make sure to put your written resolution in a place where you'll see it frequently, perhaps on a Post-It on your computer screen.

That's it! You now have a greater chance of starting your new behavior. Need more motivation? Read how just 15 minutes of daily exercise can change your life.