25 Game-Changing New Year Resolutions for Perfectionists

Spread the love

Setting New Year’s resolutions can be a minefield for perfectionists. Do you set one or not? Will they help you or hinder you?

It’s stressful and confusing!

Everyone wants to leave old habits in the past and move on to a fresh new year with a completely different mindset. But how realistic is that? Is it something that is actually achievable or is it a myth dreamt up by an overly optimistic Instagram quote page?

The short answer is… it depends. If you’re at the start of your healing journey, I recommend you skip New Year’s resolutions this year but if you have healthy coping strategies it’s okay to implement.

If you are in the right headspace to set resolutions, I will give you some tips and examples of the type you should set so that you don’t get caught up in a toxic perfectionism cycle.

What are perfectionists?

Perfectionists have unrealistically high expectations for themselves and/or others.

Many people don’t realise they suffer from perfectionism because their symptoms are often rewarded educationally and professionally. For example, achieving great grades or climbing up the career ladder.

However, it all comes crashing down leading to burnout and sometimes anxiety.

More often than not, the goals aren’t impossible but instead unrealistic given the resources, constraints or skill level. For example, setting the goal to become the head of the department at work in 2 years starting from entry-level. Technically it’s not impossible if you’re in a small company HOWEVER, it is incredibly unlikely so having that goal will set you up for failure.

Signs you might be a perfectionist

You might be a perfectionist if you notice any of these habits or traits:

Cycles of go-go-go and burnout
Procrastination
Highly self-critical
All-or-nothing thinking
Unrealistic high standards
Self-worth tied to achievements

Check out the full list of signs here: 13 Subtle Signs You’re A Perfectionist And Don’t Even Know It

The problem with New Year resolutions

Waiting for a specific date to change your life is a trap. If you really wanted to make a shift, you’d start now instead of waiting until the new year.

It’s a form of procrastination.

It’s so easy to wait for the ‘perfect’ moment (e.g. 1st of January) to magically reset your life and become the disciplined fully self-actualised version of yourself.

But sadly, it doesn’t work like that. Magic is reserved for fairytales.

Check Pinterest, YouTube or TikTok and you’ll see so aspirational posts about ‘levelling up’ in 2025.

You promise yourself you’ll live your “best life” by ticking off a list of goals that don’t even align with your current reality.

You put so much pressure on yourself for the first month of the year and end up feeling like a complete failure by mid-Feb (if you last that long) because you didn’t stick to your plan.

And that’s the problem. Unrealistic resolutions create disappointment because you set yourself up for failure before you’ve even started.

It’s why so many perfectionists find themselves in the same place year after year, wondering why things never change and constantly feeling like they’ll never be good enough.

The truth is, resolutions can do more harm than good IF you’re not careful about managing your perfectionism.

Should you even create a new year resolution in the first place?

Honestly?

I don’t think New Year resolutions are appropriate if you’re just starting out on your healing journey because you haven’t yet developed the skill of assessing whether your goals are realistic.

It’s not your fault.

You’ve probably spent years chasing impossible standards going through cycles of go-go-go and burnout so how could you know the difference between what’s achievable and what’s setting you up for failure?

There’s power in not setting resolutions. Instead of continuing your negative goal-setting patterns, you can say ‘no thanks, I’m good’ and enjoy the new year without pressure.

It’s liberating to know you are good enough right now without having to dream up an ideal version of yourself.

But what if you’re already deep into your healing journey and feel self-aware?

Go ahead. Set those goals.

But make sure they are realistic and aligned with your values.

Think broad, overarching themes for the year.

Focus on how you want to show up in the world.

The types of New Year resolutions perfectionists should set instead

Traditional New Year’s resolutions set you up for failure:

Rigid goals
Harsh deadlines
Unrealistic standards
Lack of flexibility
Pressure from others/society

It’s a lot to mentally take on.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can create new years resolutions that don’t feel suffocating or restricting. It’s something I learnt the hard way and worked on every year until I found a system that felt good.

Here’s what you should focus on instead:

1. Effort-Oriented Resolutions

Focus on the consistent effort you put in rather than a hard deadline or rigid outcome.

For example, setting the goal to write a book by the end of the year is very ambitious but overwhelming. Whereas, aiming to build a 20-minute daily writing habit feels more achievable and is a lifestyle choice.

It shifts the focus from the result to the process.

For example, my goal could be to build a 6 figure business by the end of 2025 but I’m going to tell you right now, that feels anxiety-inducing. So instead, my goal is to pitch to 5 leads each day to grow my client roster.

My daily habits will grow my business rather than having a big goal that triggers fear of failure.

2. ‘Being’ Resolutions

Part of the healing perfectionism journey is untangling your self-worth from your achievements, education and career.

Your worth is not tied to what you do, it is who you are right now. You are worthy and you are good enough. You can set New Year resolutions around how you show up for yourself daily.

E.g. being kinder to yourself when you make mistakes or becoming more optimistic.

These types of goals feel lighter and more values/spiritually aligned than your typical external goals.

3. Theme-Focused Resolutions

These types of goals are my favourite.

Pick a theme, any theme and run with it.

In 2023 my theme was ‘faith’, in 2024 it was ‘courage’ and now as we enter 2025, the theme is AUDACITY.

@thevaluedlife 2025 is the year you stop asking for permission to take up space. Stop letting your perfectionism hold you back. Try new things. Reach out to connections. Have the audacity to take whats yours. #perfectionism #2025 #newyearnewme #audacity #lifestyleblogger #productivity ♬ original sound – Teresa Richards

Having a theme for the year encourages you to stay focused on a specific change you want to make in your life while embracing flexibility.

For example, in 2024, I had the courage to go full-time with my business and exploer different opportunities.

Some things worked out and others will never be mentioned again but all things demonstrated my courage and ability to grow.

Why This Works for Perfectionists

If you set new years resolutions using one of these frameworks, you are setting yourself up for success instead of disappointment.

These types of goals are fluid, values-driven and growth-orientated. You’re choosing to show up for yourself every day and allowing yourself to learn from your mistakes.

For example, looking back on 2024, I didn’t achieve all of my ‘concrete’ goals but I damn well did have the courage to try and I can be truly proud of myself.

25 new year resolutions for perfectionists

Action/Effort-Oriented Resolutions

Spend 5 minutes tidying your space every evening
Take one day each week completely off from work or studies
Pick 3 priorities each day and focus only on those
Try one new hobby or creative activity every month
Use a social media timer to cap scrolling at 30 minutes daily
Plan your week every Sunday with a simple to-do list
Go for a 10-minute walk every morning or evening
Read 1 chapter of a book each week, just for fun
Start a daily gratitude journal with 1 thing you’re thankful for
Spend 15 minutes every month decluttering one small area of your room

Being-Oriented Resolutions

Be kinder to yourself when things go wrong
Take breaks without feeling guilty
Accept that “good enough” is okay
Be present when talking to others
Trust yourself more
Stop comparing yourself to others
Be patient when learning something new
Let yourself rest when you’re tired
Celebrate your small wins
Remind yourself you’re enough, just as you are

Theme-Focused Resolutions

Balance – Finding time for work, rest, and fun
Growth – Learning from challenges and trying new things
Self-Compassion – Being kinder to yourself every day
Presence – Enjoying the moment without distractions
Authenticity – Letting go of who you think you should be
Resilience – Bouncing back when things don’t go as planned
Curiosity – Exploring new things just for fun
Simplicity – Focusing on what truly matters
Joy – Making space for what makes you happy
Connection – Building deeper relationships with yourself and others

Are you going to set New Year’s resolutions today?

You don’t have to fall into the perfectionism trap when setting your new years resolutions this year. You can choose to opt-out or set more realistic holistic goals for the year.

I’m setting a hybrid of theme-based resolutions (having audacity) and effort-based ones (developing a daily writing habit) but you can pick one, none or mix and match.

Remember it’s not about being perfect or ticking off every goal, it’s about making progress and liking yourself as you go through life.

So, go ahead and take one step at a time into the new year.

Let me know in the comments if these resolutions work for you!

Join the community of recovering perfectionists healing from hustle-culture

If you would like to receive productivity and self-development tips designed specifically for perfectionists PLUS exclusive coaching offers join my weekly newsletter ‘The Sunday Reset’.

Remember, you are the ONLY person you are going to be with for your whole entire life, so you might as well invest in yourself.

Investing in yourself can be in the form of coaching, courses, reading, journaling, practising self-care and many more things.

Loved This? Save It for Later!

Pin 1 of these images to your Pinterest Board