5 Tips to Make Your Beautiful New Year's Resolutions Stick

This time of year, I often see hardcore fitness and nutrition influencers posting things that demean New Year’s resolutions. They’ll say things like, “You don’t need short-term motivation; you need long-term discipline.”

And if you know me at all, you know I strongly dislike that mindset. I hate it because it can make people hesitant to start new goals or allow themselves to feel excited about them. And honestly... f*ck that.

I’m here for that excitement. Habit change is hard—especially with the hustle culture we live in and the abysmal state of our food system. So why wouldn’t we capitalize on, lean into, and downright run with anything, big or small, that gets us excited about our goals?

I AM HERE FOR THIS!

I get hyped on the New Year vibe too! I buy new calendars, set goals, and get moving with more momentum. Why not? I love this time of year! And if you’re one of those influencers who has a different opinion, I’d encourage you to reconsider your approach.

I know your end goal is to help people create long-term vision and success. But why not let them use this kickstart to get going?

That said, some approaches to New Year’s resolutions can set people up for failure. So, in this article, I want to share ways you can create a robust, bulletproof plan to make those New Year’s goals last! Let’s dive in.

1. Give Yourself Permission to Go All In

This is a big one for me, and maybe it’s not something you’ve considered before. I believe most people fall short of their goals—or worse, never even start—because of the story they tell themselves about that goal.

Here are a few common ones:

• “Am I even capable of this?”
• “I’ve never been able to stick to anything.”
• “I’ll probably mess this up.”
• “I’m not the type of person who…”
• “This goal is too big for me.”
• “Why even start?”

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. That negative self-talk, that story you’re telling yourself, is on constant replay. If your inner story is filled with critics and naysayers, you’re already outnumbered before you even start.

What if this year, you gave yourself permission to go all in?

What if, instead of participating in those negative thoughts, you observed them with curiosity? Look at them as passing ideas—not truths.

Here’s an exercise: Write those fears down. Seriously, take five minutes, grab a piece of paper, and move all those thoughts out of your brain and onto the page. Then, look at them. Does your perspective shift when you’re looking at them instead of feeling them?

This year, give yourself permission to go all in. And if you don't feel ready for that YET, I give you permission.

2. Start Small and Build

This one is HUGE! I can’t emphasize this enough. I’m not asking you to change your big goal—I want it to be big! I want you to go all in (see #1). But I also want you to create a smart, manageable plan to get there.

You can create massive change in a year, but it doesn’t mean you need to start everything at once. In fact, it’s better if you don’t!

Instead of overwhelming yourself with 10 new habits, pick one or two. When those feel easy, add another. Keep stacking those wins.

For example:

• Week 1 and Week 2: Focus on drinking plenty of water and journaling each morning.
• Then: Add high-quality breakfasts.
• Then: Work on improving lunches.

If you continue down this path, you’ll build amazing, sustainable habits in a month or two. It’s not about starting fast; it’s about lasting change.

Last year, I created a 9-week habit transformation program, The Well Fed Way, with this exact approach. It works, and you’d be amazed at the progress you can make in just a couple of months!

3. Write Down Your Goals

“A goal is just a dream until it’s written down.” I don’t remember where I first heard that, but it’s stuck with me.

Want to supercharge your resolutions? Write them down. Get clear about what you want, why it’s important, and how you’ll get there. And then you can use that vision to chunk things down into manageable steps.

Goal-setting and writing are huge parts of my coaching programs because goals hit differently when they’re written down. Trust me. I dare you—write them down and let me know how it goes!

4. Avoid “Big Picture Overwhelm”

Big goals can sometimes feel overwhelming, and that’s normal. Congratulations, you’ve entered the arena! But if you aren’t prepared for those pervasive thoughts, they can absolutely get in the way of your goals. 

Perhaps your vision of success or target goal seems so far away that on certain days it seems pointless to even keep trying. 

Or maybe you feel like you have so many things you need to do to get to your goal, you don’t even know where to start, so you sit stuck and without motion.

If you have created some important goals, there WILL come a time when you face this feeling. So, I want you to anticipate it as a part of the process, that way you know what to do when it comes! 

When you face these moments, I want you to shrink your story. Shrink your story to the smallest place it needs to go to keep you moving. 

• Instead of “How will I ever lose all this weight?” think, “How can I lose my first three pounds?”
• Instead of “I have so far to go to get in shape,” shift to, “I’ll walk for five minutes today.”
• Instead of “I’m so busy, where will I even start this week?” try “How will I improve my next meal?”

Small steps create momentum. Tiny wins accumulate over time. When things feel less overwhelming, you can expand your vision again.

5. Get Support

This one’s simple. Habit change is hard—don’t do it alone! Whether it’s a Facebook group, joining a gym, doing it with a friend or partner, hiring a nutrition coach, find accountability that works for you.

If you’re not sure where to start, check out my programs! I have options ranging from low commitment, group accountability programs, to custom 1:1 coaching. There’s something out there for you.

I want to leave you with this:

Get hyped about your goals. Create a plan. Stack as many good reps as possible. Anticipate challenges (because big goals come with big challenges).

And most importantly: KEEP GOING.

If you keep going, you’ll reach your goals. It’s impossible to fail when you keep going.

You’ve got this.

—Coach Ashleigh 🦈