Make Your New Year’s Resolution Right for YOU | Gretchen Rubin [Skip to content](#content) [ ![](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/gretchenrubin-logo-768x344.png) ](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com) - December 30, 2016 - [Habit-change strategies](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/tag/habit-change-strategies/) # Want to Keep a New Year’s Resolution? How to Make It Right for You ![Photo of a calendar](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Better_Than_Before_6-scaled.jpg) Many people make New Year’s resolutions, and many people get frustrated and abandon their New Year’s resolutions. **A common mistake? Setting up the resolution in the wrong way.** We think we “should be able to” do it first thing in the morning, or we think we should imitate a resolution that works well for someone else. But there’s no one, correct way. It’s just whatever works for *us*. I know this, because I used to try to indulge moderately in sweets — but I’m an Abstainer. And I used to try to do difficult writing in the afternoon — but I’m a Lark. And I use to hold myself back from buying too much at one time — but I’m an Under-buyer. Etc. Now that I set up resolutions to suit my nature, I succeed much more often. As you set up your resolutions, be sure to consider these distinctions, as outlined in the “**Strategy of Distinctions**” in **my book *Better Than Before*,** which is all about the multiple strategies we can exploit to change our habits. Before you decide on the resolution you’ll make, consider… [**-are you a Lark or Owl?**](http://www.staging.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/08/no-time-for-something-important-to-you-try-getting-up-earlier/) [–**are you an Abstainer or Moderator?**](http://staging.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/) [**-are you an Under-buyer or Over-buyer?**](http://www.staging.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2009/04/quiz-are-you-an-overbuyer-or-an-underbuyer/) As you’re thinking about these distinctions, it can be helpful to ask, **“When have I succeeded with this resolution in the past?”** If there was a time when you exercised regularly, cooked frequently, got enough sleep, etc., that might hold clues for how you might be able to do a better job in the present. When we know ourselves, we can set up a resolution in the way that’s right for *us*. It’s not that hard to keep our resolutions, and to change our habits — *when we know what to do.* #### YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE ![a row of yellow stars sitting on top of a blue and pink surface](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/0zuobtlw3y4-768x513.jpg) [How to Review Your Mid-Year Goals: Lessons Learned from Halfway Day](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/articles/halfway-day-lessons/) ![a couple of women riding bikes down a road](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gyafawjmrw8-768x511.jpg) [How to Find the Right Exercise Routine for You](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/articles/want-an-exercise-routine-youll-stick-to-ask-yourself-these-11-questions/) ![Photo through the lens of glasses looking at an eye chart.](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/eyeglassesclarity.jpg?resize=768,514) [The Strategy of Clarity: How to Make Sure Your Habits Match Your Goals](https://staging.gretchenrubin.com/articles/video-why-having-clarity-of-values-and-clarity-of-action-helps-us-keep-our-habits/) #### DISCOVER MORE # Like what you see? 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