3 Tips To Make New Year's Resolutions Work (Without It Feeling Like A Chore)

Now, the key to achieving your goals is to create tangible resolutions you'll actually stick to—and according to happiness expert and New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, certain techniques can help you along the process without it feeling like a chore. On the mindbodygreen podcast, she offers her top goal-setting methods, which we've conveniently outlined for you below:

Or maybe in the past you felt more energized after an evening workout than an early morning sweat—that experience can help you identify the time of day that might help the habit stick. In other words: Reflect on your past, and you'll have a better grasp of how you'll act in the future. As Rubin notes: "You're much better thinking, What's true for me?"

As for how to create a habit that lasts, she shares that it really depends on the person: "There's no magic, one-size-fits-all solution for how you want to set up a habit, whether you do it in the morning, afternoon, or night. People are going to differ on when they feel most productive, creative, and energetic." The key is learning what works for you (that's where the past reflection point comes in handy!) and testing different methods to see what sticks.

She explains that tracking these behaviors in a journal can be rather reinforcing—she even offers a Don't Break the Chain habit tracker on her website to help people master their habits. "When people do something every day, it goes onto autopilot that much more easily," she says. "Many people find this 'don't break the chain' approach to be really helpful because once they get that streak going, they don't want to break it. They want the satisfaction of keeping it going." Even the act of monitoring is a helpful reminder that you set this goal for a reason—it helps you remember the why behind your resolutions, which many people tend to forget after the first few days of January.

And if you try a technique that ultimately doesn't work out? Try to offer yourself compassion; you might just need to try a different approach. Rubin shares, "Sometimes, people get discouraged when something that works really well for someone else doesn't work for them, and they think, What's wrong with me? I should just try harder and try it again." Rather, she suggests saying to yourself: "There's nothing wrong with me. I've learned something about myself. This tool doesn't work. Now, I'm going to try a different tool."

As we head into 2022, feel free to try out Rubin's techniques to create resolutions that work for you. It can be easy to compare yourself to others, but your journey is all your own—try to celebrate small wins and treat yourself with kindness at the end of the day.