How to Stick With Your New Year’s Resolution After the Excitement’s Worn Off

Tips and resources to help total beginners stay on track with some of the most common self-improvement projects

Rae Nudson
Forge

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Credit: Nora Carol Photography/Moment/Getty Images

Practicing good habits is hard. If it weren’t, everyone would already be super-organized and financially responsible, whipping up healthy meals for themselves each day, and following regular exercise routines and five-year plans. At the beginning of a new year, high on the optimism that comes with fresh starts, it’s easy to forget just how difficult it can be to achieve the self-improvement goals you’ve set for yourself. But sooner or later, reality sets in, and you remember that cooking, cleaning, and cultivating new hobbies can sometimes feel impossible.

If you want to get better at building good habits and generally keeping it together, there are some simple steps to take, even if you don’t know when water is boiling or if the machines at the gym feel completely overwhelming. Below, experts in their fields break down some of the most common resolutions people set for themselves and share how a complete beginner can find success in each one—even after the excitement has worn off.

Goal Setting

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Rae Nudson
Forge

A freelance writer based in Chicago with bylines at the Cut, Hazlitt, Paste Magazine, and more. Working on a book for Beacon Press. rae.nudson@gmail.com