You’ve heard it a million times.
Resolutions don’t work.
But why?
This graph tells the story:
A resolution is the decision to do something day after day for a long period of time. Crucially, it relies on resolve—your determination to keep going.
And determination fades.
And just as determination dissipates with time, the challenge of keeping up with your resolution keeps going up.
This isn’t just anecdotal; its statistical.
If you have an 80% chance of following through on any given day, the odds of you keeping your resolution 30 days in a row are 1 in a 1000.
But say you’re more determined than that.
For a habit you have a 90% chance of doing each day, you would have kept your new year’s resolution 30 days in a row only once in 23 years.
However you look at it, the odds over time aren’t good.
Now you may rightly point out that missing one day doesn’t count as failure. Even being somewhat consistent is effective, and the odds of staying semi-consistent with your resolution aren’t so bad.
That’s true. But the core issue remains:
A resolution is a long line of promises we make on behalf of our future selves.
And as such, resolutions are extremely brittle over time.
A resolution is a long line of promises we make on behalf of our future selves.
At some point, the future self that must carry out our resolution has only the dredges of our original determination. And they are beset by challenges than are far more demanding than we can imagine now. Inevitably, they fall short.
And so, resolutions fail.
What’s Wrong?
It’s crucial to recognise this: Our future selves don’t fail us.
Resolutions fail us.
We’re not back to square one on Jan 20th because we’re miserable, hedonistic wretches who can’t stick to a simple resolution. We lose our way consistently because our standard approach to goal setting and goal getting doesn’t work.
Resolutions need overhauling.
What’s the Solution?
Solutions and the solution.
And I’m defining that term very specifically here:
Solutions are actions taken at the time a goal that either achieve it instantly or make the process of goal-getting as effortless as possible for our future selves.
Here’s how you can identify a good solution: it makes your future motivation (almost) irrelevant to the achievement of your goals.
Some examples will convey the spirit of solutions:
Resolution I: I want to be financially responsible.
Solution I: Set up a savings plan that automatically deducts a certain part of your income for savings at the start of the month.
Resolution II: I want to exercise more.
Solution II: Get a ruthless friend to deduct $200 from your bank account for every week that you fail to hit a defined goal.
Resolution III: I want to consume less trash on the internet.
Solution III: Sign-up to email lists from curators you trust to receive good ideas directly rather than spending time scrolling media platforms.
(see if my email list is a good fit for you here).
The examples are illustrative but the point of this essay isn’t to give you solutions. It’s to help you be solution-minded. We need to seek the essence of solutions.
Why Solutions Transform Goal Achievement
Because solutions are top-heavy in terms of effort, their challenge has a friendly affinity to the determination curve:
The reason solutions transform goal achievement is that they use our initial motivation to make action easier for our tired future selves. This makes solutions far more sustainable over time.
Solutions take away the onus on goal-following in the future and replace it with system-building in the present.
Solutions take effort to conceptualize and implement today. But once implemented, they require much less effort to maintain.
Given that, here is my central argument:
Instead of making resolution–styled promises on behalf of future selves, we should take solution–focused initiative today.
For any goal we make, we should invest as much energy as possible in the present moment to make following that goal easier in the future.
How to Implement Solutions
We’ve talked about examples, but the best solutions are those you design yourself. Below are three general principles to guide you in designing your own solutions.
As you read, it will be best to follow along with this simple exercise (preferably on paper, but it can also be done mentally).
Begin by noting one of your current goals. On one side note what you hope to achieve (e.g. publish more) and on the other, note what your currently plan to do to achieve this (e.g. write every day).
On reading each general principle, ask:
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- Is there a solution I can start implement now that will meet my goals without any future effort?
- If not, how can I apply this principle to make my current plan more solutions focused?
And we’re off.
1. Systems and Processes
Systems-thinking is about focusing on the whole rather than the parts.
In terms of resolutions, investing in systems means focusing on building the right ecosystem for action rather than obsessing over a specific outcome.
Similarly, processes set in place the right procedures for acting rather than the action itself.
Goal I: Be more focused when working remotely.
System: Create a distraction free work corner where you never bring your phone.
Goal II: Write more.
Process: Have a process for collecting ideas and reviewing them later.
Goal III: Learn the piano.
System: Allow yourself to only play the piano when procrastinating during work hours.
Systems and processes take away the pressure of making the right decision on any given day.
Instead, they focus our energies on building a culture upfront that makes doing the right things almost effortless over time.
2. The Zero Energy Principle
The second principle is applied in two ways.
You can change your environment in a way that makes sticking to your desired habit easier (lifestyle design).
Or you can modify your desired habit in a way that makes it a seamless part of your life.
The core idea is based on the zero-energy principle:
Actions that take zero effort to begin will occur consistently without prompting.
Actions that take significant effort to initiate will always need to be prompted.
Applying this principle is about asking yourself this question:
What actions can I regularly take with almost no effort to get 70% of the results I desire in this area?
How can I change my environment to make following through 70% easier?
For example:
Goal: Exercise more.
Zero Energy Solution: Create an exercise routine you can follow do at home in 15 minutes instead of having to go to the gym.
For a detailed exploration of this idea, see my essay on the zero-energy principle.
3. Accountability
Even if the sea-change of systems and zero-energy transformations isn’t for you, accountability will help. This solution can turn any resolution into a reality.
A good accountability system needs to be regular, decisive, and loaded.
Regular as in there should be a time to review.
Decisive as in there should be clear guidelines to evaluate whether a goal is met or not.
Loaded in that there should be pre-decided costs for failing to meet the goal, or incentives for meeting the goal. These costs and incentives must be enforced.
In the spirit of being accountable, I will share as example the very accountability system I am using now.
Goal: Publish more.
Accountability system: If an essay is not published by pre-decided deadline, my friend will send an embarrassing pre-written message on my behalf.
This is a cost I really don’t want to incur. Generally monetary incentives/costs work well too.
Finally, Solutions are A Philosophy of Action
Solutions turn on the recognition that energy is rare but ideas aren’t.
Consider your past. Odds are, several of the memories and moments that stand out can be traced back to bursts of action from others or yourself—the college application you scraped together overnight, the spontaneous vacation, the bold vulnerability of admitting you care.
Because life turns on these moments of inspired action—and not the inspiration itself—it is important to translate any spark of insight into action.
Yes, the action will be incomplete, imperfect and it will miss the point. But that action is also the only certain thing that can propel you in a new direction.
And propel you, it will. Good luck on the adventure ahead.
Want a solution for regularly finding great ideas that cut through the noise?