New year, new goals: Coach Ofosu’s advice for staying consistent

It’s that time again: One year is coming to a close, and another year is on the horizon. 

For many of us, the dawning of a new year is an opportunity for reflection and to chart a new course. And many of us do this in the form of New Year’s resolutions. 

While these resolutions are well-intentioned, research shows that without taking proper measures to set ourselves up for success, our resolutions might drop off unceremoniously, leaving us feeling unfulfilled—and even causing us to be unkind towards ourselves. 

So, here are three simple ways to stick with your New Year’s resolutions and stay on track.

Keep it simple 

Simplicity is our best friend when it comes to achieving realistic goals. 

Let’s say you want to meditate more. Instead of making a decision to practice meditation in a formal way every single day, perhaps you can have a goal to do something meditative on a regular basis. This can look like a formal meditation practice, listening to lo-fi music while you work, or taking walks in nature. It doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all—just make a commitment to do something that feels like it helps you develop peace, kindness, and presence. 

Having a simple, broad, achievable goal makes things much more accessible. It can feel like a part of your everyday life, rather than something that requires a complete life overhaul— which often leads to giving up altogether.

Connect with a buddy

Studies show that having an accountability partner when embarking on achieving a new goal has a dramatic positive effect on our success. In other words, we don’t have to go it alone. 

Reaching out to a trusted friend or family member lets them know you want to cultivate a new positive, healthy habit or deepen an existing one. This gives you someone in your corner to cheer you on and check in on your progress from time to time if that feels supportive.

As the old African proverb says, if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. 

Practice patience and self-compassion

Even with the simplest of goals and the support of friends and family, we might find that life can still present inner and outer obstacles to achieving our goals. When we face challenges, setbacks, or delays in our journey, we don’t have to give up. 

Whenever you face a setback, think of what you might say to a friend or a loved one who is experiencing the same thing. Most of us would be incredibly gracious and supportive of them, encouraging them not to give up on themselves, to pick themselves up and keep going. We can cultivate the same type of relationship with ourselves, speaking to ourselves in the language of a friend, whenever we face challenges along the path to achieving our goals. 

As you chart the course ahead for 2025, I encourage you to keep it simple, reach out for support, and be kind to yourself. You got this. And Happy New Year!