By this time of year, many of us have given up on our New Year’s resolutions. In fact, studies reveal that only 9% of people achieve them. Although resolutions can feel hopeful and promising at first, aiming to achieve them can feel forced.

I once made a New Year’s resolution to lose 10 pounds. Guess who never lost 10 pounds. I realized getting to a particular weight wasn’t important to me. What I did value was having more energy.

I recommend forgoing resolutions and instead focusing on the desired outcomes you’d like to achieve in life. This approach connects you to what you deeply desire, and you’ll be more motivated to pursue next steps.

So, I based my desired outcome on having more energy. And I was more excited than ever to integrate behavior in my life to support feeling more energized. The result was that I felt better than ever. (The best part? I lost 10 pounds!)

How Do You Start Again?

I suggest starting with three desired outcomes. Having too many will feel overwhelming, and it won’t seem like you’re making progress in any area of your life.

For each desired outcome, list actions that could result in experiencing your desired outcome, then block out time on your calendar to take these steps (daily, if possible). This is called ritualized behavior. The less you have to think about taking a step, the more likely you are to follow through on it.