The trick to making New Year’s resolutions stick - Post Reports Recap

Podcast: Post Reports

Published: 2026-01-08

Duration: 19 minutes

Guests: Maggie Penman

Summary

New Year's resolutions can be more successful by making them enjoyable and social, using strategies like temptation bundling and the buddy system.

What Happened

Maggie Penman shares her approach to New Year's resolutions, where she often sets about 30 goals each year but only achieves a few. She believes setting resolutions is beneficial as it encourages improvement, even if not all goals are met. Penman discusses the importance of making resolutions enjoyable by reframing them in a positive light, such as turning 'stop eating cookies' into 'eat more fruit for dessert'. This makes goals more appealing and achievable.

She also emphasizes the significance of setting realistic and enjoyable goals, using her own experience of trying to become a runner despite disliking it. Instead, she suggests finding activities that are inherently enjoyable, which require less willpower to pursue. This approach can make consistently achieving goals more feasible.

The buddy system is highlighted as an effective strategy for sticking to resolutions. Penman cites research where people were more likely to attend the gym when they had to go with a friend, due to increased accountability and social enjoyment. This method leverages social connections to maintain motivation.

Another technique discussed is 'temptation bundling', introduced by researcher Katie Milkman. This involves pairing a less desirable task with a pleasurable activity, such as listening to a favorite audiobook only while exercising. This strategy helps in making the completion of tedious tasks more appealing.

Penman also suggests tackling necessary but unenjoyable tasks, like scheduling medical check-ups, at the beginning of the year. This creates a sense of accomplishment and allows individuals to focus on more enjoyable activities throughout the rest of the year.

Finally, Penman and Martine Powers discuss personal resolutions, including Penman's goal to volunteer more regularly by joining a friend who already volunteers. They also explore ways to make sleep routines more inviting and enjoyable, such as creating a comforting bedtime ritual.

Key Insights

• Setting resolutions in a positive light, such as reframing 'stop eating cookies' to 'eat more fruit for dessert', can make goals more appealing and achievable.
• Research indicates that using a buddy system increases the likelihood of sticking to resolutions, as people are more inclined to attend the gym when accompanied by a friend due to accountability and social enjoyment.
• Temptation bundling, a strategy where a less desirable task is paired with a pleasurable activity, can enhance task completion. For example, listening to a favorite audiobook only while exercising makes the exercise more appealing.
• Completing necessary but unenjoyable tasks, like scheduling medical check-ups, at the beginning of the year can create a sense of accomplishment and free up time for more enjoyable activities later.