1/ so you have a new year's resolution. congratulations, and at the same time, god help you. here are the issues you'll experience in the next 12 months, trying to keep it.
2/ issue one - you're going to forget it. so, you need a reminder system that sits with you wherever you go, and wherever you most commonly look. for most people this is going to be their phone. here are some options:
3/ streaks - an app that logs how many days in a row you do your resolution. also works for apple watch, if you have it. i've been using it for literally years and it's been a game changer: itunes.apple.com/ca/app/streaks…
4/ due - an app that is literally for fucking idiots like me (and probably you) that will remind you every 15 minutes until you do a thing. super helpful app in case you are insanely forgetful, which (let's be real) you are: dueapp.com
5/ a project app that has an overarching structure in place for long term goals. it has to fit into your system - and you have to choose what your system is. i use Omnifocus and GTD, don't @ me you assholes. p.s. this app is like $100, DON'T @ ME I SAID omnigroup.com/omnifocus/
6/ issue two - now you actually know what your shit is that you said you'd do, but here's the thing - you're going to get demotivated ALL THE TIME. every single day, sometimes. you need to solve that.
7/ go to youtube. put it on your homescreen. subscribe to ONLY MOTIVATIONAL SHIT related to your habit. dieting, lifting, learning spanish, whatever it may be, it needs to be in your face all the time.
8/ go to reddit and do the same thing - homescreen, then unsubscribe from everything except motivating things. go hardcore - habits are hard to change! it won't happen automatically my dude.
9/ the real issue is that it's in our nature to just revert to the mean. you only keep going so long as your motivation remains. this is actually a super deep issue that you're going to spend your whole life struggling with, so just accept that, right now.
10/ issue three - you started at COMPLETELY THE WRONG TIME. you have a meta habit of making NY resolutions on Jan 1, and then dumping them on Jan 8 (or whatever). so you need a structure around yourself to remind you every day, every week, etc, to keep going.
11/ it's very helpful here to have a weekly review. i do one on Sundays- in fact i'll do it right after this since i missed it last sunday. every week it reminds you of all your commitments. here is a sample of the projects i have going (some go slow, some go fast) 
12/ a process like a weekly review is very important for CONTINUOUS COMMITMENT. the idea that Jan 1 is going to be special is hugely broken. do you only want to improve once a year? goal setting needs to be a constant part of your life, not a special occasion.
13/ ISSUE FOUR - everyone around you is going to bum you out about your thing. did you notice that everyone is failing NY resolutions at the same time?? the failures actually CASCADE through social groups, it's fucking sad
14/ "oh you resolved to lose 10 pounds? but it's my birthday," says the person who just broke their streak yesterday, who was convinced by another streak breaker a day before then, and so on, until you go back and reach the lowest willpower person in the group 😩
15/ it's helpful here to go through what difficulties you're going to encounter in your day ahead of time, who you're going to talk to and what you're going to say. i like having drinks at parties. i literally go to the bar and say "give me club soda tht looks like a drink."
16/ this process helps withstand the inevitable whittling down that occurs as you encounter hurdles. imagine 15 people coming up to you at a bar - "why don't you have a drink in your hand???" you can resist the first one, but not the 10th. you need strategies to help you deal.
17/ FIFTH AND FINAL ISSUE - and this has been going on a while, i apologize. you will need to take as much energy as you can from your tiny victories. are you trying to get stronger? you need to know exactly how much, and every time you gain a rep, be like "fuck yeah."
18/ you need to love yourself so hard in good moments so you can withstand the bad. it's tough - particularly tough if you've made the mistake of setting a huge NY resolution that seems insurmountable. so make it precise, and hug yourself in your mind when you win even a tiny bit
19/ the irony of this whole thing is that as a society, we love champions, but we hate people that are struggling. it's such a shame. if you've succeeded, WOW, you're Arnold Schwarzenegger, but if you're kind of chubbed out, it's not seen as a champion in progress. but we should!
20/ so you need to see yourself not as a normal person, but as a hero in progress. a champion that is ON THEIR WAY. look in the mirror and be like "this is happening. I'M DOING IT."
21/ look, change is hard and it has to happen continuously. it's why it doesn't happen for most people. but once you see successes, even little ones, you can look back and see yourself as being a person in progress - heading towards something. this is super motivating.
22/ conclusion, I BELIEVE IN YOU. when i was 23 i worked in a call centre, had no degree and no prospects, no contacts, no fancy anything.
23/ i'm now 39, i've built a successful startup-in-progress, i'm a New York Times bestselling author, my book won best book of the year in 2009, etc etc etc. you couldn't guess any of this by looking at me at 23. and i'm still progressing.
24/ so i believe in you, and you can do it. feel free to DM me if you need a little motivation at some point. ciao.
