Megane Masson – Staff Writer 

As the new year begins and the winter semester sets in motion beneath our feet, many students have likely told themselves, “2026 is my year; new year, new me!” This ambition typically leads to disproportionate New Year’s resolutions, many of which last less than two weeks. But what if I told you there are many benefits to New Year’s resolutions, and ways you may actually stick with them?

Image courtesy of Megane Masson

Firstly, the term “New Year’s resolution” comes with its share of societal expectations and pressure, which tend to hinder and stall progress. Instead, adhering to a 30-day challenge alters the inherent communal mindset and shifts it toward a more personal pursuit, and makes you more likely to prosper. The key here, as self-centered as it sounds, is to make it all about yourself and exclude outsider opinions, all while taking baby steps.

Habits are hard to break or introduce into a new routine. More often than not, being overly ambitious creates failure, which deters people from continuing with their resolutions. Habits need to be built into one’s life progressively and on smaller scales in order to stick. Setting a goal to complete a marathon while omitting training is bound to fail because the task at hand is insurmountable. Starting with a 3k, however, and slowly increasing to 5k, then 7k and 10k, etc., is much more manageable and feels like a reward to the brain rather than a failure if you were to attempt a 10km run out of the blue.

The secret to the perfect formula, as stated above, is to take tiny and consistent baby steps to reach a new sustainable habit. This 30-day challenge does not need to be complicated; it simply needs to be something important to you that will bring a new sense of purpose to your life. It could be anything from walking 10k steps a day to waking up at 6:30 a.m. consistently instead of sleeping in. 

The important thing is setting the bar lower than your actual threshold. This will trick your brain into thinking you can do anything. When the bar is lower, goals are achieved faster and more easily. The reward is found to be a boost in confidence, which eventually leads to an increase in challenges and, therefore, more wins.

Imagine someone who goes from eating takeout every day to cooking homemade meals at least five times a week. By the end of the month, both their wallet and their health will thank them. Additionally, this person might realize they actually enjoy cooking great meals and knowing what goes into their food. Moreover, cooking at home might make the person reflect on time as both valuable and a commodity, as time slows down and becomes more purposeful.

One small habit can initiate a concatenation of life-changing tweaks in the long run. As the saying goes, old habits die hard, and it is indeed difficult to change a long-established routine. But the truth of the matter is that the source of motivation needs to come from within… with a little psychological trick! By reframing your New Year’s resolutions as 30-day challenges, the brain gets rewarded with dopamine more quickly than with an aimless goal. Dosing, consistency, and structure are the perfect combination to finally achieve those New Year’s wishes.