A common New Year tradition is making resolutions. However, many struggle to follow through on their well-meaning goals. New Year’s Day 2025 is the perfect time to turn over a new leaf. Turning your goals into lasting habits requires consistency, strategy, and self-compassion. Here’s a practical approach to help you develop habits that stick, to turn your goals into lasting progress.

The Tiny Methods Recipe

In 2019, BJ Fogg, PhD, published Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything where he describes his Tiny Habits method as a behavioral strategy that focuses on creating new habits by breaking them into small, manageable actions linked to existing routines. This approach increases the likelihood of success by making habits easier to adopt and gradually build larger positive changes. In his book, he outlines the ABCs of the Tiny Habits method recipe: Anchor, Behavior, and Celebration.

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A = Anchor

The first key element of the Tiny Habits method is to find an anchor moment. An anchor is a specific behavior pattern of actions that you do every single day in your normal life such as brushing your teeth or locking the door. These anchor moments act as a starting point or trigger to perform your desired behavior or new “tiny habit”.

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B = Behavior

The second key element is to break down your desired behavior into the smallest possible action making it tiny to ensure that it feels easy and achievable. The behavior is described as tiny because there is no willpower or motivation required. It is the starter step to a behavior. For example if your goal is to drink more water, the tiny behavior would be to take a sip of water and not to drink the whole water bottle after the anchor moment.

C = Celebration

The last key element is immediately acknowledging and rewarding yourself for completing even the tiniest action to reinforce the positive behavior. After you have tried something new you need to celebrate it each and every time. For example, If you want to start meditating, your tiny habit could be “After I brush my teeth, I will sit quietly for 30 seconds.” Then after the 30 seconds you internally create a positive feeling by imagining giving yourself a high five or saying to yourself, “I am awesome.” The celebration is anything that creates a positive feeling for you. Internal celebrations work as well as external celebrations. The celebration needs to be an act that allows you to feel successful inside, and that is what establishes the habit.

Why it Works

By starting small, you are more likely to stick to a new behavior and avoid feeling overwhelmed. By habit stacking, you are leveraging existing routines to seamlessly integrate new behaviors, increasing your rate of success. By celebrating small wins with positive reinforcement, you become motivated to continue building on your new habit.

Here are a few more tips to create lasting habits. Record your progress with the ‘chain method’ by using a calendar or journal to track each day you complete your new habit. The goal is to keep that chain going. After completing your tiny habit consistently for one week you can reward yourself for sticking with it by giving yourself a bigger reward such as a massage or dinner out. And lastly, get support from others. Having someone to cheer you on or track your progress can keep you motivated. Consider working with a coach or your physician, joining a group or sharing your goals with a friend for accountability.

Remember to focus on consistency, not perfection. It’s important to consistently show up rather than aim for perfection. Habits work in a compounding way, meaning small, consistent actions add up over time. At first, you may not see results, but over time, the cumulative effect of your efforts will be profound. If you miss an anchor or two, don’t give up completely. You will build momentum by sticking with your routine, even if it’s imperfect. Over time, consistency will turn those actions into habits. To turn your goals into lasting habits, focus on building a system that supports your goals rather than obsessing over the goal itself. Make your habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. And most importantly, focus on becoming the type of person who embodies those habits consistently. With the right systems and mindset, small changes will lead to lasting results.

In conclusion, turning your New Year’s resolutions into lasting habits doesn’t require drastic changes but rather small, consistent actions that compound over time. By using the Tiny Habits method—anchoring new behaviors to existing routines, making them tiny and manageable, and celebrating your progress—you can build lasting habits that lead to meaningful change. Celebrate every step forward, track your progress, and seek support to stay motivated. With patience and persistence, you can gradually transform your life. As you approach the New Year, embrace the power of small habits and take that first step toward lasting change. It’s never too late to start fresh and create the life you envision.

Soraya Pourtabib, MD is a Board Certified Functional, Family, and Obesity Medicine Physician. Learn more at http://www.sorayamd.com.