'What are your New Year's resolutions, Scott?' I woke up on January 6th to a text asking me this. The text was sent by a good friend and someone who worked for me on two different occasions. I thought about it for a second. No resolutions. But I do have some goals this year.
I don't go into the year thinking that all of a sudden, now that it's a new year, I'm going to turn over some rocks and everything is going to change. I don't know what this psychology is — the idea that a new year means a new us.
Part of it is that resolutions are often built on the assumption that something is broken, that we need a hard reset, a dramatic overhaul, or a new version of ourselves to emerge simply because the calendar flipped. That framing never really worked for me. It turns growth into a performance instead of a practice, and it puts unnecessary pressure on a single moment to carry the weight of change that usually happens much more slowly.
What I've learned over time is that most meaningful progress does not come from sudden declarations, but from quiet consistency. It comes from paying attention to what is working, what feels off, and what you keep coming back to when no one is watching.
A new year does not magically grant clarity or discipline. It just gives us a convenient excuse to pause and reflect, which we could do at any point if we were honest with ourselves.
Goals feel different to me than resolutions. Goals are directional. They allow for adjustment, learning, and recalibration along the way. They acknowledge that life will intervene and priorities will shift. Resolutions tend to be rigid, and rigidity rarely survives real life for very long.
I also think the idea of a 'new you' can quietly dismiss the progress you have already made. You are not starting from zero every January, even if it feels that way sometimes. You are carrying lessons, experiences, and perspectives that matter, even if they are not neatly packaged into a resolution. Growth builds on itself, whether the calendar acknowledges it or not.
So instead of resolutions, I try to focus on intention. Paying attention to what deserves more energy and what deserves less. Staying honest about what feels aligned and what feels forced. The year will unfold the way it does, regardless of what we declare on day one. The work, as always, is showing up thoughtfully once the novelty wears off.