I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. It’s usually a last-minute, half-hearted attempt to do something different or better. Then, a week or two into the year, things are back to normal. There’s a few reasons for this.

First, there’s the idea that self-improvement can only start on January 1. What if I’m not serious about losing weight until May? Wait seven months? That’s one reason most fail. Our hearts aren’t 100% committed. We know we need to do it, we just don’t want to yet.

Second, most resolutions are about breaking old habits. You’ve been doing something for a decade or two (or five) and now you want to quit? It’s possible with a lot of hard work. Given the choice of breaking a habit or finding a way around it, I have a higher chance of success with the latter. We can take advantage of systems that simplify or automate things. For instance, if I have a habit of forgetting things, like paying the bills or making IRA deposits, I can automate it. Continue Reading…