Picture the scene.

It’s New Year’s Day, and you are the most hungover you think you have ever been. You swear that you will never make yourself feel that ill again. There’s only one thing for it: time to make your New Year’s Resolutions. Oh, and maybe do Dry January.

So, the vision board is in progress. You’ve trawled through Pinterest to find aesthetic pics of people doing pilates, green juice and someone’s run of A* grades and pinned them all to your board.

But what now?

It turns out that being successful in your resolutions means more than just saying that you’re going to do them. In fact, Time Magazine reports that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Because when it’s a gloomy morning in February, that promise you made to go to the gym at 9 am every day suddenly seems a lot harder than it did on the 1 st of January.

Motivation can fade quickly, but habits stick around much longer. That’s why one of the most important steps is to start small and build those habits over time. One of the most discouraging things you can do is set a goal that’s so intense it’s impossible to keep up with. Missing one library session can quickly spiral into feeling like you’ve failed altogether, and suddenly, you’re avoiding the ASSL altogether out of guilt. Instead, be honest with yourself when you start making resolutions.

Are you really someone who functions best early in the morning, or do you work better later in the day? If you’ve never been an early bird, then those 9 am revision sessions might be better off scheduled for later in the day when you’re more likely to focus. They might look good on paper, but choose wisely about what new habits are actually sustainable.

Work smarter, not harder, by planning ahead.

If you want to keep on top of your work, this might look like blocking out a few study slots at set times during your week, or just remembering to pack your bags the night before an early seminar so you’re ready to go in the morning. Using tools like a weekly planner or even your notes app to break assignments or goals into smaller tasks can make deadlines feel much less overwhelming and help you stay on track. Personal goals often work best when they’re flexible. Lots of us embark on Dry January, but just cutting back on your alcohol consumption is a win. Social life is a
huge part of uni, and especially during a cold, dark month like January, staying in and pretending that you don’t want to go on that night out might do more harm than good. Setting boundaries, like alternating drinks, choosing alcohol-free options or being pickier about which nights out you actually go on, can be much more sustainable and avoid the post-Angels fear on a Thursday morning.

Moving towards your goals is great, but don’t feel like you have to sacrifice all the fun things that you
like doing along the way. January is also a brilliant opportunity to try something new. If one of your goals is to pick up a new hobby or meet new people, then the Refreshers Fair at the Students’ Union is the perfect place to start. Head over to the SU on the 27th of January for a low-pressure chance to see if anything piques your fancy, be it new hobbies or even restarting an old favourite.

Another thing to remember is that even if you slip up or make a mistake, that doesn’t discredit the work that you’ve already put in. Life happens! Lectures get missed, gym sessions get skipped, and lazy days mean that you break the Deliveroo ban that you put yourself under. Building new habits is challenging, and progress is definitely not linear. As long as you can try and pick yourself back up again, building habits that will actually last for the year, rather than ending as soon as it hits the 1st of Feb, are much more impressive.

Finally, you don’t have to reinvent yourself every time the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. Resolutions aren’t about becoming a completely new person overnight. They are a great way to make small, consistent changes that fit around your life as a student and learn what really works for you. And if 2026 is the year that your goals last longer than your January motivation, then you’re already doing something right.

Words by: Edie Bessant

Image courtesy of Kaboompics