Happy holidays! Before we kick off the new year here at CareBuilders, I wanted to introduce Resolution January. Throughout the month of January, we’ll be sharing one post each week focused on building resolutions that are realistic and sustainable. This won’t be about setting goals that feel good for a week and then fade away—we’ll be talking about how to build healthy habits that actually fit into everyday life. To get started a little early, here’s a quick overview of the types of resolutions we’ll be focusing on.
Starting Small
Beginning with small, manageable steps and building gradually is one of the best ways to make a change stick long term. For example, if you currently drink about one glass of water a day and your goal is to eventually drink eight glasses (64 ounces), starting with eight glasses on January 1st can feel overwhelming. Instead, you might focus on consistently drinking one glass a day at first, then slowly increasing by one glass every few weeks. Even if progress stalls at some point, you’re still doing more than you were before—and that counts.
Reflecting on What Makes You Happy
Resolutions are easier to maintain when they’re built around things you actually enjoy. If you dislike going to the gym but enjoy walking your dog, a resolution focused on longer or more frequent walks is likely to be more sustainable. Some changes—like following a specific diet for medical reasons—are necessary even if they aren’t enjoyable, but many resolutions fail simply because they’re based on what we think we *should* do rather than what realistically fits our lives.
Research supports this approach as well. The American Psychological Association’s guidance on goal setting highlights that goals rooted in personal values and broken into smaller steps are more likely to succeed over time.
If you’d like to follow along with the full series, you can find all of the upcoming posts under Resolution January as the month unfolds.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not medical advice. CareBuilders at Home provides non-medical home care services focused on supporting daily living, independence, and well-being.
I hope you enjoy Resolution January, and I’ll see you all in the new year!
Written by Brigid Stakel
