Should You Make Smaller Resolutions This Year Instead Of Huge Ones?

New year, new you. Each year the clock strikes midnight, and we all rush to make large resolutions of change for our lives. Yet, only around 9% keep their resolutions throughout the new year, according to Discover Happy Habits. Often tossing out the new gym equipment they bought or donating the crafting tools. Why do so many people choose to quit reaching for their goals? Often, it truly is because they bite off more than they can chew. Large, long-term goals often overwhelm us, leading us to quit before we see any results. It is possible that some people even quit because they can't see results, such as a person attempting to quit smoking. That person knows it is better not to smoke but struggles because they see no physical difference.

"Setting big resolutions is frequently setting ourselves up to fail. We are creatures of habit and, even when something is bad for us, it's often easier to continue than to go through with the difficulties of changing our habits," life coach Vie Portland tells PopSugar when speaking about why large resolutions often lead to failure. If you are looking to accomplish more this year, try making smaller resolutions rather than huge ones.

Microlutions are exactly what they sound like — small resolutions for the new year rather than large ones. Small resolutions are little steps that lead to a big change, which is why they work. You feel accomplished after completing each little step, rather than feeling discouraged that one huge goal is taking what feels like forever. In fact, many people aren't even ready to start their goals on January 1st, according to Psychology Today. They just feel like they need to set one big goal because everyone else is doing it. If someone doesn't want to accomplish a big goal, they won't. Most of the time, this is because they are overwhelmed with the idea or feel like they don't have the power to do it.

Smaller resolutions are less stressful and can start at different points throughout the year, so there are no specific deadlines to meet a certain goal. With small resolutions, it will be easy to build upon them as you go. For example, one large goal often takes several steps. With a microlution you can take as long as you need on a specific small goal and once that one is complete, set the next small goal into achieving a larger one.

According to Statista, some of the biggest resolutions for Americans in 2022 included living healthier, personal improvement, losing weight, and achieving career goals. Yet, as we know, only around 9% stick to these goals. What microlutions could people set in order to achieve certain popular goals in small increments that will help them see results as they go?

If you are looking to live healthier in the new year, consider making smaller niche goals rather than the large, broad goal of simply "living a healthy lifestyle." One of the first niche microlutions you could make in the new year is to take the steps instead of the elevator. You will see a small impact on your health that could make you want to set another small goal towards becoming healthier.

Another goal many want to accomplish in the new year is to save a certain amount of money. While it can be hard to save large amounts of cash all at once due to cutting back on fun spending, there are small ways to make a difference in your finances. "Don't set an amount to start with. Start with emptying coins into a jar every day, or set up your banking app to transfer every penny into a savings account when rounding up to a [dollar]. Once you start seeing the small amounts build, you will feel more confident about saving," says Portland to PopSugar when speaking about an easy microlution for saving money.