New Year, New Habits: How to Start Habits in January That Last Past February

If you’re like me, you’ve written a beautiful list of resolutions on the first of January and found it again in March, under a pile of receipts, with nothing ticked.

My list used to have about twelve items on it, which in hindsight was eleven too many.

A new year is a genuinely good moment to start new habits, and there’s research to back that up.

The trick is to start fewer of them, make them smaller than feels impressive, and plan for the days you’ll miss.

Here’s what the research says, how I build habits now, and twenty-five ideas you can borrow for the year ahead.

Why the New Year Really Is a Good Time to Start

It isn’t just tradition.

Researchers at Wharton studied what they called the fresh start effect, and found that people were more likely to work on their goals after “temporal landmarks” like a new week, a new month, a birthday, or a new year.

Gym visits rose, and so did searches for the word “diet,” every time a new chapter began on the calendar.

A new year gives you a clean page and a sense that the old patterns belong to last year’s version of you.

Use that feeling, just don’t expect it to do all the work.

Do New Year’s Resolutions Actually Work?

More often than their reputation suggests.

In a study that followed people for six months, 46 percent of those who made New Year’s resolutions were still succeeding at six months, compared with only 4 percent of people who wanted to change but didn’t make a resolution.

How you phrase the goal matters too.

A larger study published in PLOS ONE found that people with approach goals, something to start doing, were more successful after a year than people with avoidance goals, something to stop doing, at 58.9 percent compared with 47.1 percent.

So “eat a vegetable with dinner” tends to work better than “stop eating junk.”

How Long Does It Take to Build a New Habit?

You’ve probably heard twenty-one days, and I’m sorry to say it’s usually longer.

In a well-known study from University College London, it took a median of 66 days for a new daily behaviour to become automatic, and the estimated range was huge, from 18 days to more than 250.

The kind part of the same study is that missing one day didn’t materially affect the process.

So if your new habit still feels like effort in February, nothing has gone wrong, because it’s still being built.

How to Build New Habits for the New Year

1. Choose one or two, not ten

Every habit needs attention while it’s new, and attention is limited.

Pick the one or two changes that would make the biggest difference, and let the others wait until these feel easy.

2. Phrase them as something to do

“Read ten pages before bed” gives you something to aim for in a way that “stop scrolling at night” doesn’t.

You’ll often find the old habit fades because the new one takes its place.

3. Make the habit tiny

Smaller than you think, especially at first.

Five minutes of stretching, one page of a book, one glass of water, then build up once it feels automatic.

4. Make an if-then plan

Decide exactly when and where the habit happens, in the form “if it’s X, then I’ll do Y.”

“If I’ve just put the kettle on, I’ll stretch while it boils.”

These plans are called implementation intentions, and a review of 94 tests found they had a medium-to-large effect on whether people reached their goals.

5. Attach it to something you already do

Habits stick better when they hang on an existing routine, like brushing your teeth, making coffee, or locking the front door.

That’s also how small daily rituals form.

6. Clear the way

This is where minimalism helps most.

If you want to read more, put the book on your pillow and the phone charger in the kitchen.

If you want to cook more, clear the counter so the pan is the first thing you see.

Less clutter means less friction between you and the habit.

7. Track it lightly

A tick on a calendar is enough.

The point is to see progress, not to build a spreadsheet you’ll abandon by the second week.

8. Plan for the days you’ll miss

You will miss some, so decide now what you’ll do when it happens.

My rule comes from James Clear, who wrote that “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”

If you’ve already slipped further than that, how to get back on track is for you.

25 New Habits to Try This Year

At home

1. Clear the kitchen counter every night before bed.

2. Make your bed as soon as you get up.

3. Use one in, one out for every new thing you bring home.

4. Do a ten-minute tidy instead of a big Saturday clean, the way my minimalist cleaning schedule works.

5. Declutter one drawer a week.

With your phone

6. Keep your phone out of the bedroom.

7. Turn off every notification that isn’t a person.

8. Check email at set times instead of all day.

9. Delete one unused app a week, using my digital declutter checklist.

10. Take one screen-free evening a week.

With money

11. Wait thirty days before any non-essential purchase.

12. Review your subscriptions on the first of every month.

13. Try a low buy year, or just a low buy January.

14. Borrow before you buy.

For your body and mind

15. Drink a glass of water before your first coffee.

16. Stretch for five minutes every morning.

17. Take a short walk after lunch.

18. Go to bed at the same time on weeknights.

19. Read ten pages a day, and here are five ways to kick-start a reading habit.

20. Write down three good things at the end of each day.

With people and time

21. Call someone you love once a week.

22. Set a fixed end to your working or study day, one of the simplest time boundaries there is.

23. Say “let me check and get back to you” instead of an instant yes.

24. Plan one thing a week that’s just for you.

25. Notice one simple pleasure every day, and my list of simple pleasures has plenty to start with.

Remember, choose one or two, not all twenty-five.

A Minimalist Way to Do New Year’s Resolutions

These days I make fewer resolutions and more room.

Before adding anything new in January, I let go of something old, a commitment I’d never choose again, a habit that costs more than it gives, or a pile of things in the hallway.

It’s much easier to start a habit in a life that has space for it, and my list of things to let go of is a good place to look for what to drop.

If you’re a student, the habits that make the biggest difference are often the simplest ones, and I wrote about them in what student life can teach you about building healthier habits.

And Remember

That list of twelve resolutions under the receipts was simply a lot to carry at once.

This year, pick one or two habits, make them small, and give them more than twenty-one days.

Miss a day if you must, but don’t miss two.

By the time March comes round, you won’t need to find the list, because the habit will already be part of your day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good new habits to start in the new year? Small, specific habits work best, like clearing the kitchen counter each night, keeping your phone out of the bedroom, waiting thirty days before non-essential purchases, stretching for five minutes each morning, or reading ten pages a day.

How many new habits should I start at once? One or two. New habits need attention until they become automatic, so starting fewer gives each one a better chance.

How long does it take to form a new habit? In one well-known study, it took a median of 66 days for a daily behaviour to become automatic, with a wide range depending on the person and the habit. Simple habits form faster than complicated ones.

Do New Year’s resolutions work? Often, yes. In one study, 46 percent of people who made resolutions were still succeeding at six months, compared with 4 percent of people who wanted to change without making one. Goals framed as something to start doing tend to work better than goals to stop doing something.

What should I do if I miss a day? Just do the habit the next day. Missing one day doesn’t meaningfully set you back; the important thing is not to miss twice in a row.