How to pick New Year's resolutions you'll keep

Good New Year's resolutions for 2027 are actions you can do in a normal week, not outcomes you hope for by December. Pick one to three. Write each one as "every [day], I will [action]", add a smaller version for bad weeks, and set a date to check in.

Below are 60 resolution ideas grouped by life area, each already written as a weekly action, and a one-page worksheet you can print.

"Get fit" isn't something you can do on January 6. "Walk 20 minutes after lunch, Monday to Friday" is.

That gap is where most resolutions die. Not in the wanting. In the first ordinary week, when nothing tells you what to actually do.

Run every resolution through four questions before you commit to it:

If you can't answer all four, it's still a wish. That's fine. It just needs one more pass. For worked before-and-after rewrites, see these SMART goals examples, with a free template.

The other rule: fewer is better. One resolution done for 12 months beats five dropped by February. If you want more, add the second one once the first runs without effort.

Each idea comes in two parts: the resolution people usually write, and the weekly action that makes it real. Steal the action, not just the headline. Change the numbers to fit your life.

If nothing on the list feels like yours, the problem is earlier than the resolution. Start with how to figure out what you want (members) first, then come back.

Right-click (or long-press) the image to save it, then print it on US Letter or A4 and choose "fit to page".

Print it, or copy these lines into your notes app. One box per resolution, three boxes max.

Part 1 - Brain dump. What do you want to be different by December 2027? Write everything. Don't filter yet.

Part 2 - Pick 1-3. Circle the ones you'd still care about on a bad day in March.

Part 3 - One box per resolution:

Part 4 - Test week. Tick each day you do the action from December 26 to December 31.

That last part matters. You don't have to wait for January 1 to find out your plan is too big. A test week in late December shows you, while it's still cheap to change.

The worksheet turns a resolution into a plan for one week. Keeping it going after the first few weeks is the longer job, and that's where The Execution Bundle comes in: both NoFluffWisdom books in one download. 7 Steps to Change Your Life covers seven habits worth building, if you're still choosing. The 90-Day Discipline Blueprint gives you 12 guided weeks: one main habit in weeks 1-2, a second in weeks 3-4, and a Restart Plan for the weeks that go sideways. 25% off with code 25off.

Here's a hypothetical box, before and after the four questions.

Before: "Get in shape in 2027."

After:

The "before" asks you to feel motivated. The "after" tells you where to be at 6:00 pm on Monday.

One to three.

Every resolution needs time, energy and attention from the same week. Five new habits starting on January 1 means five things competing for your Monday evening. Usually they all lose.

A good order: start with the one that makes the others easier. Better sleep makes workouts easier. A weekly money check makes saving easier. Get that one running, then add the next.

You will miss a day. Plan for it now so it doesn't end the whole thing.

Use one rule: never miss twice. One missed day is noise. Two in a row is the start of a new habit, the wrong one. If you miss Monday, the minimum version on Tuesday is the only job. The full rule is in never miss twice.

And if you miss a whole week, don't wait for next Monday or next month. Restart with the minimum version the same day you notice. If the worry of failing again is what keeps you from restarting, this guide to overcoming fear of failure has a worksheet for it.

If the excitement is what fades, around week three or four, that's normal too. Here's how to finish a goal when the excitement has faded.

Start planning now, and run a test week from December 26 to 31.

January 1 is a fine start date. But it's a bad first day. You're tired, the routine is off, and everything feels like it has to be perfect.

A test week takes that pressure away. If your weekly action doesn't fit into that week, it won't fit into a busy February either. Shrink it now. Then January 1 is day 7, not day 1.

What are good New Year's resolutions?
Ones you can do in a normal week. "Read 10 pages before bed" is good. "Read more" isn't, because it doesn't tell you what to do tonight. Pick from the list above and change the numbers to fit your life.

What is a realistic New Year's resolution?
One where the minimum version still works on your worst week. If your plan only works when you're rested and motivated, it isn't realistic yet. Shrink it.

How do you write a New Year's resolution?
Write the action, the day and the amount: "Every Monday and Thursday, I will lift for 30 minutes." Then add a minimum version and a check-in date.

What's the difference between a resolution and a goal?
A goal is a result you want, like running a 5K. A resolution works best as the action that gets you there: three runs a week. Use both, but plan your week around the action.

How do I stick to my New Year's resolutions?
Keep it to one to three, set a minimum version, and use the never-miss-twice rule. Check in at the end of January and adjust instead of quitting.

Getting the plan right is the first week. Staying with it past January is what the two books cover together: 7 Steps for which habits matter, the 90-Day Blueprint for 12 guided weeks of follow-through. 25% off with code 25off.

Take 10 minutes tonight: pick one idea from the list, write its weekly action in one sentence, and put your December 26 test-week start in your calendar.