Every year, people make a list of their New Year’s resolutions, hoping to change their ways and start living a life they dream about. However, people forget that change does not happen overnight. Nobody loses 80 pounds instantly or starts finding passive income in a week. Here is a list of what you should and should not do when making your list. 

Do: 

• Set quarterly goals: There are 12 months in a year and every few months, you can stray away from wanting to continue the goal you set in January. So, if you want to set goals such as losing 80 pounds in a year, instead, you should set a goal of 20 pounds every four months. 
• Know yourself: If you have financial struggles, do not make a lofty goal like “I want to find an extra income source making $500 extra dollars a month.” If you currently work a nine-to-five or a retail/fast food job, it is hard to make up the free time necessary to make an extra income of hundreds of dollars. Instead, you should make a goal of investing your money. Take what you make in a month, and invest 15% of it in both the stock market and a Roth IRA. For example, if you make $2,500 dollars in a month, take $375 dollars and put half into the stock market (research which stocks), and then put the other half in an IRA. Your money will earn you money while you sleep, and you do not have to think about it. 
• Make your first four months of goals achievable: It is okay to make your first couple of goals layups, meaning easy to accomplish. If you want to become more religious in 2026, it’s okay to make a goal of wanting to read the book of said religion once a week. If you want to be more consistent in the gym or eating, it’s okay to give yourself a couple of cheat meals a month to make the beginning easier to accomplish. 

Do Not:

• Expect instant success: There is a reason why most people have repeat goals every year they make resolutions. They make it hard on themselves to do a complete 180 and end up doing a 360. Make your goals feasible and attainable. 
• Do not give up: On Jan. 7, if you break one of your resolutions, do not just scratch it off your list. Restart that same day, take a cold shower and wash it off. You cannot let one mishap stop you from accomplishing a goal you set out for yourself. 
• Do not overly stuff your resolution list: Having 10 goals is a nice mark, but exceeding it and going to 15-20+ is a bit excessive. You do not need to stuff your list to feel like you are accomplishing more. According to the Foundation Wellness, having a bunch of goals in your list adds stress and can make you break your goals faster. 

Overall, you want to make goals that matter to you on a deeper level and benefit your well-being and quality of life. Follow these dos and don’ts, and you are destined for success in 2026.