The One Resolution That Actually Sticks (Forget the List)

linnearader
Dec 29, 2025
4 min read

Here's the audio version of this blog post!

It's the last Monday of the year, and if you're on social media at all, you've seen them. The posts about New Year's resolutions. The ambitious lists. The grand declarations of transformation.

"This year I'm going to lose 30 pounds, read 50 books, learn Spanish, get organized, wake up at 5am, start meditating, eat healthy, exercise daily, be more patient, spend less time on my phone, and completely reinvent myself!"

And you know what happens to most of those lists by February?

They're buried under the reality of actual life.

The Resolution Graveyard

The New Year's Resolution graveyard — The New Year's Resolution Graveyard

Let me tell you about my own resolution disaster a few years back. I made a list. Oh boy, did I make a list. I was going to be better at EVERYTHING. Better with my health, my relationships, my professional development, my home organization, my hobbies, my finances. I had it all mapped out.

By mid-January, I was overwhelmed and stressed. By February, I'd abandoned most of it. By March, I couldn't even remember what half of my resolutions were.

The problem wasn't my intentions. The problem was trying to overhaul my entire existence all at once while still, you know, living my actual life.

Here's what I've learned since then: one meaningful change beats ten mediocre attempts every single time.

The Power of One

"What would genuinely matter to you?"

This year, I'm not making a list. I'm choosing one thing. One single area where I want to be better by the end of 2026.

Not perfect. Not transformed. Just better.

And I'm encouraging you to do the same.

Think about it. If you could improve at just ONE thing this year, what would actually make a difference in your life? Not what sounds impressive. Not what you think you should focus on. What would genuinely matter to you?

Maybe it's being more present with your family instead of constantly checking your phone. Maybe it's having those difficult conversations at work instead of avoiding them. Maybe it's setting better boundaries so you're not constantly exhausted. Maybe it's giving yourself grace instead of beating yourself up over every mistake.

Whatever it is, pick ONE thing and really commit to it.

Why Leaders Need This Too

Don't fall into the fix everything at once trap

As leaders, we're especially prone to the "fix everything at once" trap. We see all the areas where we could improve, all the ways we could be better for our teams, and we try to tackle it all simultaneously.

But you know what your team needs more than a leader who's trying to be perfect at everything? A leader who's genuinely working on being better at something that matters.

When you focus on one meaningful change, you can actually make progress. You can model what realistic personal growth looks like. You can show your team that improvement doesn't require complete transformation, just consistent effort in one important area.

Making It Real

Here's how to make this actually work:

Be specific. "Be a better leader" is not specific. "Have one meaningful conversation with each team member every month" is specific.

Choose something you control. You can't resolve to "have a better team" because that depends on other people. You can resolve to "give more specific, actionable feedback" because that's entirely within your control.

Make it measurable. How will you know if you're getting better at this? What will be different by the end of the year?

Connect it to your why. Why does this particular change matter to you? When it gets hard to stick with it (and it will), what's going to keep you going?

The February Test

"If you can only stick with ONE resolution through the messy reality of February, which one would it be?"

You know why most New Year's resolutions fail? Because people set them based on January 1st energy. That fresh start feeling. That optimism about the blank slate of a new year.

But life doesn't stay in that January energy. By February, you're back in the reality of your actual schedule, your actual stressors, your actual life.

So here's the test: if you can only stick with ONE resolution through the messy reality of February, which one would it be?

That's your resolution. That's the one that actually matters to you.

Permission to Be Human

Here's something nobody tells you about New Year's resolutions: you don't have to reinvent yourself.

You're already doing a lot of things right. You've already got strengths and capabilities and ways of showing up that work. You don't need to fix everything about yourself.

You just need to pick one area where being a little bit better would make a meaningful difference.

And then you need to give yourself grace when you mess up, because you will. Progress isn't linear. Some weeks you'll nail it. Some weeks you'll completely forget about it. That's called being human.

The question isn't whether you'll be perfect at your one resolution. The question is whether you'll keep coming back to it.

What's Your One Thing?

So as we head into this last week of 2025, I want you to think about it. Not think about your list. Not think about all the ways you could be better. Just think about the ONE thing that would genuinely matter if you improved at it this year.

What would make you feel like 2026 was a year of real growth?

What would make a difference not just for you, but for the people you lead and the people you love?

What's worth focusing on for twelve months?

Choose that. Write it down. Keep it somewhere you'll see it. And when February rolls around and life gets messy, come back to it.

Because one meaningful change that actually sticks is worth more than a dozen ambitious resolutions that disappear by Valentine's Day.

What's your one thing for 2026? Share in the comments. Let's keep each other accountable for the things that actually matter.

As always, carry social kindness with you everywhere you go. The world needs you and your positive mindset!