Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller
Chris Farrell and Marcheta Fornoff

How to make new habits stick in 2020

Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin is best known for her work on The Happiness Project, but on Thursday she joined MPR News guest host Chris Farrell for a discussion on some of her other research, including how to build better habits in the new year.
Photo courtesy Sam Interrante

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Only about 20 percent of Americans kept their New Year’s resolutions last year, and 63 percent said they didn’t even try to make a resolution in the first place, according to a YouGov poll.

What separates those who stick to their goals and those who falter?

Author Gretchen Rubin has a few ideas. While she’s best known for “The Happiness Project,” she has also written extensively about building habits in her books “The Four Tendencies” and “Better Than Before.”

Thursday on MPR News, Rubin joined guest host Chris Farrell for a conversation about best practices for making habits stick.

Know yourself

There isn’t one set of strategies that will work for every type of personality. Take some time to think about what motivates you and what you value most. In her book “Better Than Before,” Rubin writes:

“There’s no magic formula — not for ourselves, and not for the people around us. We won’t make ourselves more creative and productive by copying other people’s habits, even the habits of geniuses; we must know our own nature, and what habits serve us best.”

Try pairing something you dread doing with something you love

If the highlight of the week is when your favorite podcast releases a new episode, and you’d rather let your laundry topple over than fold clothes, try pairing the two activities together. Your excitement about the new episode will help distract you from the monotony of sorting clothes.

Block out time in your schedule

If it’s in the schedule, it’s one less decision you have to make that day because you’ve already set aside the time. Let’s face it, you’re unlikely to exercise by accident or to suddenly have the urge to start back in on a project you’ve been putting off. However, if you’ve already built that time into your day, you’re more likely to follow through.

Begin

Rubin advises against the temptation to start tomorrow. “It’s fine to start small. We always suspect something will be easier to start tomorrow, next week, next month or in the new year … but without any logic as to why it will be easier. In truth, most things are easier when we just go ahead and start them.”

For more tips, use the audio player above to hear the full discussion.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.