A Different Way to Begin the New Year: Vision Before Resolutions

The start of a new year often comes with pressure to fix, improve, or overhaul ourselves.

New goals. New rules. New promises.

But for many women in midlife, this approach no longer feels aligned.

You’ve lived enough life to know that real change doesn’t come from forcing yourself into someone else’s version of “better.” It comes from clarity, intention, and choosing what actually matters now.

This year, instead of rushing into resolutions, consider beginning with something deeper: vision and intention.

Why Resolutions Often Fail (Especially in Midlife)

Research on behavior change consistently shows that willpower-based resolutions don’t stick for most people. Nearly 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February [1].

Why?

Because traditional resolutions often:

Ask for too much change at once
Rely on motivation rather than systems
Ignore nervous system capacity and life context
Trigger perfectionism or self-criticism when things don’t go “right”

In midlife, when energy, hormones, responsibilities, and priorities have shifted, this approach can feel exhausting, or even counterproductive.

The Power of Vision Over Pressure

A vision is different from a resolution.

Resolutions focus on what you should do.
Vision focuses on how you want to live and feel, in a way that is aligned with what's actually important to you.

When you clarify your vision:

Your goals become more selective
Your habits become more intentional
Your decisions align more naturally with your values

This is especially important in midlife, when many women are re-evaluating identity, purpose, health, and how they want the next chapter to feel, not just look.

Deep Reflection: The Questions That Actually Matter

Instead of asking, “What should I change?”

Try asking:

How do I want to feel in my body this year?
What kind of pace supports my energy and nervous system?
What am I ready to release that no longer fits?
What does “well-being” actually mean for me now?
What would make this year feel nourishing, steady, and meaningful?

These questions create internal alignment, the foundation for sustainable change.

Why Less Is More When It Comes to Habits

Modern research on habit formation confirms what many women intuitively know: small, consistent changes outperform ambitious overhauls.

Studies show that:

Habits form more reliably when they are simple and repeatable [2]
Behavior change is more successful when tied to identity and values, not pressure [3]
The nervous system resists change when it feels overwhelming or unsafe

This is why choosing one or two meaningful habits, rather than ten resolutions, leads to better outcomes, physically and emotionally.

In midlife, capacity matters. Change must fit the life you’re actually living.

A Simple Practice for the New Year

Try this gentle reset on New Year’s Day:

Choose one word or phrase that represents how you want to live this year (e.g., steady, spacious, energized, rooted).
Identify one small habit that supports that feeling.
Let everything else be optional.

This isn’t about doing less because you’re capable of less. It’s about doing what matters most - with intention.

Looking Forward

This season of life isn’t about proving anything.
It’s about discernment, clarity, and choosing what truly supports your well-being.

When you lead with vision instead of pressure, change becomes less about fixing yourself — and more about becoming who you already are.

Here’s to a year guided by intention, not obligation.

Happy New Year!!! May this be your most fulfilling year yet!

References

[1] Norcross, J. C., & Vangarelli, D. J. (1989). The resolution solution: Longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts. Journal of Substance Abuse.
[2] Lally, P., et al. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology.
[3] Gardner, B. (2015). A review and analysis of the use of habit theory in understanding, predicting and influencing health-related behaviour. Health Psychology Review.