It’s that time of year again: time to get focused and commit to your New Year’s resolution. As you’ve probably heard, it’s not an easy feat. Most people give up by the first week of February. If you’d like to make your resolutions stick this year, NSA Storage is here to help. Use these tips to meet your goals with simple planning and small steps!

Start with a Single, Clear Resolution

The biggest pitfall in the New Year is trying to make too many changes at once. This can often be overwhelming and unrealistic. Instead of trying to make many big changes, choose one relatively small goal that matters to you. To make your resolution even clearer, use the SMART goal technique. Ask yourself if your goal is:

• Specific– Having the goal “read more” is good, but it would be better if it was “read 10 books.”
• Measurable– Can you measure your progress easily? For example, the goal “I want to be happier” isn’t really something that can be measured.
• Achievable– Is your goal realistic for you? If you’re at the beginning of your exercise journey, running a marathon by the end of the year may not be achievable. Set your sights on something realistic but still challenging.
• Relevant– Will this goal have some positive impact on your life? If you reach the goal, what will have changed for you? You’re most likely to strive to reach a goal that matters to you.
• Time-Bound– Having a time frame is important because it holds you accountable. New Year’s resolutions tend to have a deadline of the end of the year, but you can break your goal down into even smaller steps with shorter deadlines so that you see progress throughout the year.

By focusing on a single, meaningful resolution, your chance of successfully seeing it through will increase!

Break that Resolution Into Smaller Steps

Resolutions can be overwhelming at the beginning of the year. If that’s how it feels with your New Year’s resolution, break it into smaller, more easily accomplished steps. This lets you celebrate wins along the way to your end goal.

• If your resolution is to lose 20 pounds in a year, set a goal for how much you want to lose each month.
• Want your home to be more organized in 2026? Organize one room at a time rather than trying to organize your entire home at once.
• If your resolution is to save more money, use a financial app to automatically deposit a weekly amount into your savings account.

By breaking your resolution into smaller, easier-to-digest steps, you’ll keep moving forward towards your ultimate goal. This may be the best way to actually reach your end goal.

Set Up a Consistent Routine

Studies say that, on average, it takes 66 days of consistency for something to become a habit. Practicing something consistently eventually forms a routine, and once something is routine, you no longer have to remind yourself to do it everyday.

Creating a routine that fits into your lifestyle is one of the top methods of staying on your resolution track! Here are a few suggestions to use it successfully:

• Set up reminders on your phone, a calendar, or whatever device you use most.
• Schedule the tasks attached to your resolution at the same time every day, or the same day every week. For example, if you’re learning to crochet, sit down everyday at the same time for a hour of crochet practice.
• Connect your new habit or task to one that you already have. Stretching after your morning coffee, for example, or putting money in your savings account every payday. That way one habit helps form another.

Use Simple Tools to Track Your Progress

Making New Year’s resolutions today is much easier thanks to new and easy ways to track your progress. A few of the best resolution tracking tools include:

• Streaks or another habit tracking app
• A wall calendar hung where you see it every day
• A whiteboard also hung where you see it every day
• A small notebook you can carry in your pocket or purse

Human brains love the gratification of pressing a button or checking a box. Tracking your resolution’s progress gives you a nice ego boost that helps you keep your momentum going. Plus, if you miss a day or week, you can hop right back into the fray with less guilt.

Stay as Flexible as Possible

Adding a New Year’s resolution to your already busy schedule can be difficult. On top of a busy schedule, life sometimes throws curveballs, making it necessary to adjust course.

Staying flexible in your goals is important. Many people give up by February because they’ve stumbled, and it feels like too big a failure to keep going. The good thing about personal goals, though, is that you’re the only one you’re accountable too. You can recommit yourself at any time and pick up where you left off.

If needed, you can also change your goal or your approach to be more realistic. Here are a few examples of staying flexible so that you meet your 2026 goals:

• Change the time, or day, you work on your resolution.
• Reduce the amount of time you work on your new habits.
• Be prepared to meet your goals even if you’re traveling or won’t be home for some reason.
• Don’t be shy about asking for help.

Get Organized in The New Year with NSA Storage

At NSA Storage, we help folks keep their decluttering and organization resolutions every year! That’s because we offer affordable, safe, and secure storage units that free up space in your home! 

Using a storage unit from NSA Storage can:

• Give you much more closet, cabinet, and garage space.
• Keep clothing and seasonal items in perfect shape.
• Help you turn a spare room into an office or other usable space.
• Make organizing holiday decor a breeze.

A storage unit gives you more room to breathe, so to speak. Even better, it will help you stay organized and uncluttered throughout the year. Happy New Year from all of us at NSA Storage, and best of luck with all your New Year’s resolutions!