Habits Are the New Resolutions
The secret to actually following through on 2021 goals
This is a modified excerpt from Inside Your Head 🧠, a weekly newsletter exploring why your brain makes you think, feel, and act the way you do, written by me, Elemental’s senior writer and a former brain scientist. Subscribe here so you won’t miss the next one.
Happy New Year!
Did you set any goals or intentions for 2021 yet? Me neither. I have to confess, though, I’ve never been very good at keeping New Year’s resolutions. I’ve tried to learn how to play the guitar at least a half-dozen times with no real success, and any attempts over the years to cut out sugar have been short-lived. But I also haven’t really been trying that hard — I’ve never used what I know about the brain to try to turn a resolution into a habit.
Habits are like shortcuts for your brain, and they can work either to your benefit or your detriment. Habits allow you to function on autopilot so you can perform tasks while thinking about something more important. Usually, this is a good thing. You don’t have to concentrate on your order of operations in the shower, setting your mind free to wander, plan your day, or problem-solve. Automatically putting your seat belt on when you get into a car means you never forget to buckle up, even when you’re thinking…
