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Its a new year, which means millions of people are setting resolutions they genuinely want to keep. We want to eat better. Move more. Make more money. Finally get control of our time. Were taking advantage of the Fresh Start Effect, a principle rooted in the idea that people often view new beginnings as an opportunity to distance themselves from past failures and shortcomings. This can lead to a psychological reset, where we experience a renewed sense of optimism, self-efficacy, and motivation, common around the New Year. And yet, by February, most of this motivation will quietly evaporatenot because people dont care, but because the way we set resolutions is fundamentally flawed. Why most resolutions faileven when you really want them to work As a culture, New Years resolutions are tests of your personal discipline. If you stick with them, youre committed. If you dont, you fell off the wagon. Cue the familiar guilt/shame spiral. But new behavioral research suggests something very different. A 2025 multi-country study examining goal persistence found that the strongest predictor of whether someone follows through on a resolution isnt willpower, discipline, or even how specific the goal is. Its intrinsic motivationwhether the behavior itself feels personally meaningful and rewarding, rather than externally pressured. In other words, people dont abandon resolutions because they lack grit. They abandon them because the goal never fit into their real lives in the first place. That helps explain why the most common resolution formatsrigid, outcome-focused goals set once a yeartend to collapse under pressure. The hidden problem with outcome-based goals Most resolutions are framed as endpoints: lose 20 pounds, run a marathon, read 50 books, get promoted. They sound motivating, but behavioral scientists increasingly argue that these outcome-first goals are poorly suited for behavior change. In fact, research suggests that popular frameworks like S.M.A.R.T. goals are no more effective than telling someone to do your best when it comes to sustaining new habits. These types of goals skip the hardest part: the messy bridge between who you are today and who youre trying to become. Tiffany Clevinger is a high-performance hypnotist who says, Its better to make identity-based goals over outcome-based goals . . . Who am I becoming in the process? She suggests reframing a goal like Save more money to an identity target of Become someone who is more responsible with money. When progress inevitably slows, outcome-based goals create a psychological trap. Youre either on track or youve failed. Miss a few workouts or break a streak, and guilt creeps in. Shame follows. Motivation drops. The resolution quietly fades. But some high performers know how to avoid this trap altogether. Why you should think in weeks, not years People who consistently change their behavior dont rely on annual resolutions. They design systems that create momentum every week, not once a year. Weeks offer fast feedback. They allow room for course correction. They make it easier to recover from setbacks without abandoning the entire goal. Instead of asking, Can I do this for a year? they ask, Can I do this easily this week? And, as Clevinger explains, you can still take advantage of the Fresh Start Effect. Instead of looking at January 1st as being the only fresh start, we can look at every Monday as being a micro fresh start, she says. It feels so much lighter, so much easier for the nervous system to commit to. This shiftfrom outcomes to process, from years to weeksis where sustainable change begins. Want to try it out? Heres a science-backed alternative to traditional resolutions, based on our work at Lifehack Method with thousands of professionals who are trying to change real habits inside already full lives. Step 1: Choose one identity shift plus one small habit Behavior change is not easy. Each new habit competes for attention, energy, and willpower. Consistent achievers know this, which is why they focus on a single identity shift theyd genuinely like to evolvenot a full personality overhaul. Their focus is on long-term durability, not 75-hard level intensity. A one percent improvement repeated daily compounds far more reliably than a burst of motivation followed by exhaustion, guilt, and abandonment. As Atomic Habits author James Clear notes, If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time youre done. For example, if you want to become the sort of person who takes care of their body, the one small habit you might commit to is to drink a glass of water each morning when you wake up. As this becomes more automatic, and you have success, you might add an additional small habit such as cooking a healthy breakfast each day. The early stages should feel almost underwhelmingbecause the system is designed to work after motivation fades, not while its high. If it feels boring, youre probably doing it right. Step 2: Add a number to make progress tracking easy Vague resolutions fail because they dont give the brain anything concrete to act on. Adding a simple numeric anchorminutes, frequency, pagesturns a wish into a decision. Exercise more becomes jog for 30 minutes twice a week. Read more becomes read 30 pages before bed. This isnt to make them more rigid, its to increase their clarity. Clear commitments reduce mental friction and give you a satisfying sense of doneness. They are harder to wiggle out of, especially on days when motivation is low. Step 3: Identify the friction before it shows up Most people plan for success and hope obstacles wont appear. But people who stick to their goals assume friction is inevitable, and plan accordingly. Fear, overambition, scheduling conflicts, travel, and fatigue are highly predictable barriers. The more explicitly you identify what might derail a habit, the easier it becomes to respond without spiraling into self-criticism. Asking, What stones are in my path that I need to clear? is a mental shift that keeps you focused on achieving your target for the long term. Step 4: Borrow motivation from structure and accountability Willpower is unreliable, especially when youre already juggling work, family, and constant digital demands. Thats why external structure matters. Research on behavior change consistently shows that accountability increases follow-through by introducing eustresspositive, motivating pressure that reduces the cognitive load of self-regulation. Behavioral scientst Susan Ibitz points to her experience in the military as an extreme but illuminating example. The environment created by the sergeants and soldiers creates momentum; action becomes easier because the structure removes friction. She encourages those of us to design structure into our own lives, starting with someone who can hold us accountable. You need to find a cheerleader who is not your mom. You need someone who sees real value in you, not because they love you, Ibitz says. By joining a social mastermind or working with an accountability partner or coach, youll gain a supportive environment that calls you to the mat in a loving way. When accountability is built into your environment, it keeps you on task when willpower fades. Step 5: Put the habit on your calendaror it doesnt exist Habits dont form through intention alone. They form through repetition in a specific context. Research suggests that simple habits can become more automatic within roughly two months, while more complex behaviors take longer. The mistake most people make is assuming the habit will find a place in their schedule. It wont. Blocking time on your calendaraccounting for travel, energy levels, and realistic constraintsturns the habit into a commitment instead of a hope. Many people also find success by chaining a new habit to an existing one, reducing the mental effort required to start. Step 6: Use rewards Reward is one of the most underused levers in habit formation, especially among high achievers who are often more comfortable with self-criticism than self-reinforcement. Some people rely on negative incentives, like penalties for missed actions. While these can work short-term, they often undermine intrinsic motivation over time. Positive rewards are different. They reinforce identity. They make the process itself feel worthwhile. For example, rewarding yourself with a quick walk around the neighborhood, a bike ride, frisbee with your dog, or a break from work to watch inspiring TED videos is all it takes sometimes to make the juice worth the squeeze. Think of it as an insurance plan against failure, rather than an unnecessary indulgence. Why this system works when resolutions dont Traditional resolutions ask people to change their behavior without changing the system around that behavior. But the people who make lasting changes arent more disciplined than everyone else. Theyre more focused on identity-based, consistent change. By focusing on intrinsic motivation, weekly momentum, structural support, and realistic planning, the goal shifts from perfect execution to staying in the game. Miss a week, and you dont failyou get up and try again. They stop trying to reinvent themselves every January and start designing habits they can live with in February, March, and beyond. So if 2026 is going to be different, it wont be because you wanted it more. It will be because you built a system that made change easier to sustain.
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Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Zillow economists just published their updated 12-month forecast, projecting that U.S. home pricesas measured by the Zillow Home Value Indexwill rise 2% between November 2025 and November 2026. Heading into 2025, Zillows 12-month forecast for U.S. home prices was +2.6%. However, many housing markets across the country softened faster than expected, prompting Zillow to issue several downward revisions. By April 2025, Zillow had cut its 12-month national home price outlook to -1.7%. In the second half of this year, Zillow began upgrading its forecast. In August, it revised its 12-month outlook to +0.4%. In September, the forecast increased to +1.2%, and in October Zillow upgraded its 12-month national home price forecast to +1.9%. In November, Zillow slightly downgraded its 12-month outlook to +1.5%. This month, however, Zillow revised its 12-month outlook for U.S. home price growth back up, just a tad, to +2%. While Zillows national home price forecast is no longer negativeit isnt exactly bullish either. It’s calling for a soft national housing market in 2026, one where national housing affordability may improve slightly as U.S. income growth outpaces U.S. home price growth. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); Among the 300 largest U.S. metro-area housing markets, Zillow expects the biggest home price increase from November 2025 to November 2026 to occur in these 15 metros: Atlantic City, New Jersey +5.9% Rockford, Illinois +5.6% Knoxville, Tennessee +5.1% Concord, New Hampshire +5.1% Green Bay, Wisconsin +5% Saginaw, Michigan +4.9% New Haven, Connecticut +4.7% Appleton, Wisconsin +4.7% Wausau, Wisconsin +4.7% Fayetteville, Arkansas +4.6% Jacksonville, North Carolina +4.6% Kingston, New York +4.6% Janesville, Wisconsin +4.6% Bangor, Maine +4.6% Morristown, Tennessee +4.6% Among the 300 largest U.S. metro-area housing markets, Zillow expects the biggest home price decline from November 2025 to November 2026 to occur in these 15 metros: Houma, Louisiana -7.0% Lake Charles, Louisiana -6% New Orleans -4.1% Shreveport, Louisiana -3.1% Lafayette, Louisiana -3% Alexandria, Louisiana -2.4% Beaumont, Texas -2.3% Austin -2.2% Chico, California -2% Punta Gorda, Florida -2% Monroe, Louisiana -1.9% San Francisco -1.6% Odessa, Texas -1.5% Corpus Christi, Texas -1.3% Santa Rosa, California -1.1% U.S. home prices, as measured by the Zillow Home Value Index, are currently up 0.01% year over year. If Zillows latest 12-month outlook (+2%) comes to fruition, it would represent a small acceleration nationally. Below is what the current year-over-year rate of home price growth looks like for single-family and condo home prices. The Sunbelt, in particular Southwest Florida, is currently the epicenter of housing market weakness right now. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); With supply no longer as tight as it was during the pandemic, price gains are likely to stay modest. Buyers should see a bit more time and leverage when they shop, while sellers can still build equity, just at a slower pace than in past boom years, wrote Zillow economists in a report published on Monday. Zillow economists added: Looking ahead, Zillow projects sales will strengthen in 2026 as mortgage rates trend lower and affordability improves. Existing home sales are forecast to reach 4.3 million next year, a 5.2% yearoveryear gain. After two slow years, the recovery is expected to be led by the Southeast and West, where demand is more ratesensitive and is starting to rebound as borrowing costs ease.
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Did your Christmas morning start off with a Mac under the tree? No matter if you unwrapped a new MacBook, iMac, or Mac mini, that hardware is just the beginning of a gift that will keep on giving. In 2025, there are more apps and games for Apple computers than ever. Here are six we recommend taking a look at. Pages Whether youre a student or a professional who just got a new Mac, one of the most critical apps to have is a word processor. For decades now, the word-processing king, Microsoft Word, has been available on Macs. The problem is that Microsoft Word is now largely a subscription servicemeaning that if you use it, youll have to pay a monthly fee. [Screenshot: Apple] That annoying subscription model is why every Mac owner should download Apples Pages. Apples word processor is incredibly powerful and versatile, enabling the easy creation of everything from manuscripts to newsletters. It even lets you create and edit documents in the Word format for cross-platform use. Book Tracker One great thing about the Mac is that there are tons of indie developers creating high-quality apps for nearly any niche use you can think of. One of the best indie apps weve found this year is dedicated to helping you track your book library. [Screenshot: Simone Montalto] Book Tracker is an app any book lover will adore. Scan the UPC of any book with your Macs camera, and the book will be added to Book Trackers library, where you can view information about it, organize it into collections, and add notes. The app also allows you to set and track reading goals, add books to your to-be-read wish list, and easily see all the quotes youve decided to jot down from your favorite books. Flighty If youre a frequent flier, youll probably be bringing that new MacBook you just got on any trip you take. But more than just a tool to use on long flights, your MacBook can actually make your travel experience less stressful, thanks to a certain app. That app is Flighty, which allows you to view all kinds of information about your upcoming flight right on your Macs desktop. [Screenshot: Flighty LLC] Enter your flight details, and Flighty will instantly display your flights itinerary on a beautiful interactive map, along with a detailed timetable of your departure, taxi, and takeoff as well as your landing metrics. The app also alerts you to delays and displays other useful information like the time zone and weather at your destination. Assassins Creed Shadows Gaming on the Mac has never been better, and 2025 saw the release of what is probably the most graphically impressive game ever to hit Apples platform: Assassins Creed Shadows. The AAA game by gaming giant Ubisoft shows that game studios are finally going all-in on Mac gaming, mainly thanks to the Macs powerful Apple Silicon chips. [Screenshot: Ubisoft Entertainment] Assassins Creed Shadows is the latest installment of the Assassins Creed franchise, which lets you play as a shinobi assassin and a samurai in feudal Japan. With riveting story, characters, and jaw-dropping graphics, this is a must-have game if youre looking for some fun downtime on your Mac over the holidays. Resident Evil 2 If youre looking for a game a little less mesmerizing and a lot more horrifying, you should definitely check out the Resident Evil 2 remake by Capcom. Originally released in 1998, Resident Evil 2 is the game that defined the survival horror genre for a generation. [Screenshot: Capcom] The remake retains all of the originals tense atmosphere, compelling characters, and bone-chilling sound design, but repackages it in a layer of modern graphics and lighting effects. Best of all, as with Assassins Creed Shadows above, Resident Evil 2 supports game controllers, making your playing it on a Mac feel reminiscent of a console experience. Altos Adventure If samurai and zombies arent your thing, and you prefer a more casual gaming experience, youll likely love Altos Adventure. The endless runner snowboarding game originally debuted on the iPhone in 2015 and was widely praised for its art design, score, and game mechanics. And all that is turned up to an 11 in the Mac version of the game, thanks to the Mac’s expansive displays compared to the iPhone’s. [Screenshot: Snowman] In Altos Adventure, you play a llama herder on a snowboard as he races across beautiful landscapes collecting his runaway flock while performing flips and other aerial acrobatics on his snowboard. Yet despite its kinetic action, the game is surprisingly calming, and its wintry, snowcapped backdrops couldnt be more appropos for this time of year.
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