By the middle of January, nearly a third of the people who made New Year’s resolutions have already broken them. This is not uncommon — a quarter of resolution-makers say they never achieve their goals for the New Year, according to statistic-crunching website Statistic Brain. Yet nearly half of all Americans make resolutions lists. What’s standing in the way?

One reason resolutions often don’t work is they don’t become a habit, which studies show takes about 21 days. Remember, 29% of resolution-makers give up after just 14 days! You may start the New Year with good intentions, but life gets in the way. You get busy, complacent, or discouraged as you try to work through a long list of very specific goals.

While it’s still worthwhile to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, here’s a new approach to try, and it may lead to better results. Instead of a resolutions list, why not focus on just one word to guide you through 2016? Let that word inspire and inform every decision, action, or goal you make this year.

For example, instead of resolving to lose 10 pounds by spring break or pay down debt to a certain level, try adopting the word “less” as your theme. Throughout the year, all your decisions will come down to that word. You’ll aim to eat less, stress less, or maybe spend less time on social media, the phone, or watching TV.

continue reading »