Goal guide
25 New Year's resolutions for 2027, each with a first week
Quick answer
Good New Year's resolutions for 2027 start something specific: read 24 books, learn a skill, save for a trip, host a monthly dinner, clear out the house. In a 2020 study, resolutions to do something went better than ones to avoid something: 58.9% against 47.1% successful a year later. Here are 25 ideas, each with a first task.
Five resolutions, broken down to the first week
Each resolution is the long-term goal for the year. Under it sits a milestone for spring, a step for January and a task for the first day back.
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Reading
- Long-termRead 24 books in 2027
- Mid-termFinish 6 books by the end of April
- Short-termRead 15 minutes every night for two weeks
Today's taskPick the first book and put it by the bed
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A new skill
- Long-termHold a basic conversation in sign language by December
- Mid-termFinish a beginner sign language class
- Short-termSign up for a class that starts in January
Today's taskFind two classes near me and their start dates
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Money
- Long-termSave $2,000 for a summer trip
- Mid-termHave $1,000 put aside by May
- Short-termOpen a separate savings account for the trip
Today's taskAdd up what takeout cost last month
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Friends
- Long-termHave friends over for dinner every month
- Mid-termHost 3 dinners by the end of March
- Short-termInvite two friends for a dinner in January
Today's taskText Sam and Priya two possible dates
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- Long-termKeep the house clear of clutter all year
- Mid-termDeclutter every room by the end of February
- Short-termClear the kitchen counters and one cupboard
Today's taskEmpty the junk drawer
We wrote these examples ourselves. In LeapSteps you write the resolution as the long-term goal, in your own words. Tap Generate on the mid-term or short-term step and AI drafts three options; keep one, edit it or write your own.
The app's draft aimed for 6 books by April and 15 minutes of reading a night for two weeks, starting now rather than on January 1. I kept both, because two weeks of the habit in November makes January easier.
More New Year's resolution ideas
Twenty more, grouped by the part of life they're about. Each comes with a task for the first week, so January 2 has something on it.
Work and career
- Ask for a raise with a written caseFirst week: List three results from last year, with numbers
- Finish one course that helps at workFirst week: Choose the course and book the first hour
- Leave work on time three days a weekFirst week: Pick the three days and tell your team
- Test a new career before changing jobsFirst week: Ask one person in the field for a 20-minute call
Learning and skills
- Learn to cook 10 dinners from scratchFirst week: Pick three beginner recipes
- Learn basic car maintenanceFirst week: Check the tire pressure with the manual open
- Play five songs on the guitarFirst week: Learn three chords and switch between them
Money and home
- Cook at home on weeknightsFirst week: Plan three weeknight dinners and shop once
- Clear out the garage by springFirst week: Empty one shelf into keep, give and recycle
- Keep every bill in one listFirst week: Write down each bill and its due date
Family, friends and community
- Call my parents every SundayFirst week: Put Sunday's call on your list with a time
- Volunteer twice a monthFirst week: Sign up for one shift
- Write one thank-you note a monthFirst week: Write the first one
Hobbies and the outdoors
- Visit every state park within two hours of homeFirst week: List them and pick the first
- Take one photo every dayFirst week: Pick the time of day you'll take it
- Run a 5k in the springFirst week: Pick the race and its date
- Read one book a month with a friendFirst week: Choose the first book together
Time and habits
- Read for the last 20 minutes of the dayFirst week: Put a book on the nightstand
- Plan tomorrow before I finish workFirst week: Write tomorrow's three tasks at the end of each day
- Spend one evening a week with no screensFirst week: Pick the evening and what you'll do instead
Your first week of January
Seven tasks, none longer than 15 minutes, for any resolution on this page. Do the first four before New Year's Day.
- Write the resolution as something to start10 min "Stop scrolling in bed" becomes "Read for 20 minutes in bed". The 2020 study below found start-something goals went better.
- Write what done looks like on December 3110 min A number or a result you can check, like 24 books or $2,000 saved.
- Pick a milestone for the end of March10 min About a quarter of the way, so February has a target of its own.
- Write one if-then plan for when and where5 min "When I get into bed, I'll read 20 pages." The review of 94 tests below is about plans like this.
- Put the first task on January 2, with a time5 min The first ordinary day is easier to keep than New Year's Day.
- Ask one person to check in with you on January 315 min A date makes the check-in happen.
- On Sunday, mark what you did and plan next week's three tasks15 min A missed day in week one is normal. Plan the next week anyway.
Ways to keep a New Year's resolution, graded
How the common approaches compare on what matters in February: whether you know what to do this week. Graded A to D.
| Approach | Plans the first week | What the research found | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willpower, starting January 1 | No. It counts on how you feel each day. | Nothing we found tests it on its own. | D |
| A resolution to stop something, like "Stop buying takeout" | Sometimes. It says what not to do, not what to do. | 47.1% called themselves successful after a year, in the 2020 study below. | C |
| A resolution to start something, like "Cook at home on weeknights" | Sometimes. It names the action but not the day. | 58.9% called themselves successful after a year, in the same study. | B |
| An if-then plan for when and where you'll act | Yes, for the moments you plan. | A review of 94 tests found a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals. | A |
| A milestone and a weekly task on the to-do list you already use | Yes, and the week after. | Not tested as a whole. It puts the two rows above on your list. | A |
What research says about resolutions that last
Three findings behind the first week above, and what LeapSteps does with each.
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Stockholm University
Start something rather than stop something
In a 2020 experiment with 1,066 people, 58.9% of those whose resolution was to do something called themselves successful a year later, against 47.1% of those trying to avoid something. That's why every idea here starts with something to do.
Read the study -
Peter Gollwitzer and Paschal Sheeran
Decide when and where in advance
A review of 94 tests found that plans spelling out when, where and how you'll act had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals. That's why each task can have a day and a time.
Read the review -
McGill University
A concrete plan helps most when the goal matters
Students who planned when and where they'd act reported finishing more of their goals, especially ones that mattered. That's why each task can have a due time and a goal.
Read the study
These studies test the ideas behind LeapSteps, not the app itself. Most resolutions in the 2020 study were about physical health, weight and eating; its success rates cover every kind of resolution together. Checked October 23, 2026.
When you fall behind
Most resolutions wobble in January. A wobble is fine; what matters is next week.
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The first week went by and you didn't start.
Late tasks stay on Today and show how late they are, so the first task is still there. Don't wait for February 1 or next Monday. Make the task smaller, like reading five pages, and write when and where you'll do it: "after dinner, on the couch". A review of 94 tests found that plans like that had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals.
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You kept it up for three weeks, then stopped.
Your finished tasks still count, and the next step is where you left it. Three weeks is a real start, so pick up the same task tomorrow instead of starting over. In a Carleton University study, students who forgave themselves for putting off one exam procrastinated less before the next.
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The resolution was too big for this year.
Edit the milestone in your own words, or tap Generate on it with an area of focus and a time frame for three smaller options. Change the milestone and keep the resolution: "6 books by April" can be "3 books by April". In a Stanford study, students who aimed for a small goal each session progressed faster than those given one distant goal.
Sources checked October 23, 2026.
Questions, answered
What are good New Year's resolutions?
Good New Year's resolutions name something you'll start, are specific enough to check on December 31, and come with a first task for January. "Read 24 books in 2027", "Host a dinner for friends every month" and "Save $2,000 for a summer trip" all pass. "Be better with money" doesn't, because you can't tell when it's done. A 2020 study of 1,066 people found that resolutions to do something went better than resolutions to avoid something: 58.9% against 47.1% called themselves successful a year later. So if your idea starts with "stop", try turning it around: "stop ordering takeout" becomes "cook at home on weeknights". The 25 ideas on this page all start with something to do.
How do you keep a New Year's resolution?
Give it a smaller goal for spring and a task for this week, and decide when and where you'll do that task. A review of 94 tests by Peter Gollwitzer and Paschal Sheeran found that plans spelling out when, where and how you'll act had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals. In practice that means writing "When I get into bed, I'll read 20 pages" instead of "read more". Put the task on the list you already check every day, not on a page you'll only see in January. Then look at it once a week: mark what you did and choose the next three tasks. A missed day doesn't end a resolution; a missed plan for next week usually does.
How many New Year's resolutions should I make?
One or two is plenty for most people with a job and a household. Each resolution needs a few slots in your week, and three or four at once tend to compete for the same evenings. A good test: can you name the task for each resolution that you'll do in the first week of January, and the day you'll do it? If not, you have more resolutions than room. Keep the extras on a list for later in the year. When one resolution has become a habit, or reached its spring milestone, start the next one. Spreading them out that way also means you aren't starting everything on the same tired January weekend.
What if I break my resolution in January?
Carry on from where you stopped, and make the next task smaller. Breaking a resolution for a few days is normal, and starting again from day one tends to feel heavier than simply doing the next task. In a Carleton University study, students who forgave themselves for putting off one exam procrastinated less before the next, which suggests a lapse is better forgiven than punished. Look at what got in the way. If it was time, move the task to a different part of the day. If it was size, cut it in half. If you no longer want the resolution, that's a real answer too: swap it for one you do want, rather than dragging it to December.
When should I start planning my New Year's resolutions?
Any time in December works, and there's a case for starting earlier. Choosing the resolution, writing what done looks like and picking a spring milestone take less than an hour, and doing them before the holidays leaves January 1 for starting rather than deciding. Some people try the first task for a week or two in late November or December, as a test run. If it fits your week then, it will usually fit in January; if it doesn't, you have time to make it smaller before it counts. There's nothing special about January either. If you find this page in March, the same steps work from today.
Can LeapSteps help me keep a resolution?
It can hold the plan, and the doing is still yours. LeapSteps is our app. Write the resolution as a long-term goal, then tap Generate on the mid-term or short-term step for three AI-drafted options, or write your own. Link this week's tasks to that step so they sit on Today with everything else you have on. Late tasks stay on Today until you move them, and finished steps move to Steps achieved, so a slow February still shows what you've done. LeapSteps can't make the time for you, and it won't choose the resolution. If you'd rather not add an app, write the step at the top of the list you already keep.
Plan your resolution before January
LeapSteps gives your resolution a spring milestone and a task on the list you open every day, so it's still moving in February. LeapSteps is out now on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows.
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Keep going
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