How to plan a year without writing a list of resolutions

A page of resolutions is satisfying to write and difficult to live with. By February most of the list is quietly forgotten, and it is easy to conclude that the problem is you. Often the problem is the format: too many goals, with no clear reason and no review.

Here is a lighter alternative that fits an ordinary life.

Start with a theme, not a target

Pick a single word or phrase for the year, such as "steady", "outdoors" or "finish things". A theme gives you a direction to lean on without a pass-or-fail number. When you are choosing between two options in March, you can ask which one fits the theme.

Choose three constraints

Constraints are limits that make progress possible, and they are different from goals. They answer the question: what will I protect, and what will I stop?

• One thing to protect. An evening, a weekly walk, time with someone.
• One thing to limit. Weekend work, a draining commitment, a particular habit.
• One thing to begin small. A skill or project, started in a way that fits your diary.

Think in seasons

Twelve months is too long to hold in your head. Break the year into four seasons of about three months each, and for each one write a single sentence: what is the focus now? It is easier to say "this spring I will get the finances in order" than to plan twelve months of tasks.

Write the why

Next to each choice, write one honest sentence about why it matters to you. If you cannot say why, it may be someone else's goal. Drop it, or ask what part of it you actually want.

Set the review dates now

A plan with no review is a wish. Put four dates in your calendar, one at the end of each season, and use the same short set of questions:

1. What worked and what did not?
2. What did I learn about myself?
3. Does the theme still fit?
4. What is the focus for the next three months?

Plans are not promises to the calendar. They are hypotheses you check.

Allow for changes

Illness, work, family and plain bad luck will all reshape the year. A good plan has slack in it. If you fall behind, ask what you can scale down rather than abandon.

About big goals

Goals involving money, health or major legal commitments are worth discussing with an appropriate professional before you commit. This article offers a way to think and plan, not specialist advice.