Motivation, Discipline and Making Resolutions Stick

New Year’s resolutions get a lot of criticism. They are often dismissed as unrealistic, short-lived, or setting people up to fail. There can be some truth in that. But it is not the full story.

A new year can be a genuinely helpful moment to pause, reflect, and decide what you want more of, or less of, in your life. It marks a clear transition. One year closes. Another begins. That sense of a fresh chapter can make it easier to step back and take stock of habits, wellbeing, and priorities.

Goals do not have to be dramatic to be effective. In fact, the most useful goals are often simple, grounded, and realistic. The idea of setting SMART goals can feel a bit old hat, but the principle still holds. Clear goals work better than vague intentions. Knowing what you want, how you will measure progress, and giving yourself a realistic timeframe makes change more achievable. Just as important is flexibility. Plans need adjusting. Energy comes and goes. That is not failure. It is part of real life.

January can also feel heavy. Short days. Cold weather. A slower pace. For some people, mood and motivation dip at this time of year. Yet this quieter period can actually support change. There are fewer distractions and fewer demands. It can be a good time to focus inward and lay steady foundations rather than chasing quick results.

Any meaningful change requires both motivation and discipline. Motivation is the spark. The sense of wanting something different. When motivation is high, change can feel exciting and purposeful. Discipline is what carries you through the days when motivation fades. It is the ability to keep going even when things feel uncomfortable, dull, or inconvenient.

A good example of this comes from my own experience of training for a marathon. Some days, motivation was high and training felt rewarding. Never easy, but satisfying. Other days were very different. Cold, wet mornings when the last thing I wanted to do was go out and run. Those days relied on discipline. Turning up anyway. Trusting the plan. Doing the work even when it did not feel good. Both mattered. Motivation got me started. Discipline helped me stick with it.

Hypnotherapy can support both motivation and discipline for any goal by working with how your mind creates habits, expectations, and emotional responses. Motivation often drops when goals feel overwhelming, self-doubt takes over, or past attempts are replayed as proof that change is not possible. Hypnotherapy can help strengthen confidence, clarify goals, and reconnect you with your reasons for change.

Discipline is closely linked to habits and automatic responses. The unconscious mind does not respond well to force or self-criticism. Hypnotherapy works at this level, helping new behaviours feel more natural and less like a constant battle of willpower. You remain aware and in control throughout. The aim is to help you use focus, attention, and imagination in a deliberate way to support lasting change.

New Year’s resolutions do not have to be rigid promises or all-or-nothing challenges. They can be intentions. A direction of travel. With clear goals, realistic expectations, and the right support, a new year can be a very good time to start.

If you are thinking about making changes this year and want support with motivation, discipline, or breaking old patterns, hypnotherapy may be able to help. Small shifts, practised consistently, can add up to meaningful change over time.

You can book a free consultation and explore how hypnotherapy could help.