Every January, millions of people set ambitious New Year’s resolutions. They do it with genuine enthusiasm, hoping to transform their lives. However, research indicates that by January 8, just a week into the year, a quarter of these resolutions had already failed. At the end of the year, most people return to their familiar patterns and the promises they made to themselves are often abandoned. My life does not allow me the luxury of being part of that statistic.
I work at the intersection of three distinct and demanding identities: a PhD scholar at Oxford researching outer space financing, the founder of a career advancement platform called Network Capital, and the father of a one-year-old child. This combination creates a specific set of constraints. I don’t have the luxury of extra time nor do I have the ability to waste effort.
New Year’s resolutions fail not for lack of intention or ambition. The problem is that behavior change is difficult when you are already maximizing your cognitive load. Standard resolutions set us up for failure by demanding too much, too quickly, without a realistic roadmap for execution.
Fortunately, there is a clearer path. By viewing personal change through the analytical lens of a founder and researcher, I have completely diverted my attention from resolutions. Instead, I rely on operational protocols.
The resource limitations of willpower
The first fundamental understanding is that willpower is a finite resource. In the business world, we understand that a company cannot scale solely through the heroic efforts of a founder; Requires scalable systems. The same logic applies to personal performance. When I’m awake first thing in the morning with a child, my willpower reserve is depleted by noon. If a resolution depends on me feeling motivated to write or exercise, I will probably fail.
Consequently, I have adopted the concept of marginal gains.
Popularized by James Clear in Atomic habitsThis approach rejects the requirement for massive and immediate reforms. Instead of trying to change everything simultaneously, the focus is on improving just one percent each day. Psychologist Amy Cuddy refers to this as “self-pushing,” which involves setting small, manageable goals instead of overwhelming ones.
In the context of my PhD, I do not set out to finish an entire chapter in one go. I commit to writing one clear paragraph a day. For my physical health, I don’t commit to exercising for an hour. I commit to five minutes of movement. In my role as a father, I do not seek perfection. I commit to spending one hour of exclusive interaction with my daughter.
These smaller commitments work because they are sustainable even during periods of great stress. They compound over time, creating a trajectory of success that depends on consistency rather than intensity.
Environmental engineering
As a founder, I spend considerable time optimizing workflows to reduce friction. I realized that I needed to apply this same logic to my daily life. Strategies that depend on memory or discipline are fragile; Strategies that are based on environmental design are solid.
Changing multitasking behavior is generally ineffective. To manage the conflicting demands of parenthood, academic research, and business leadership, I must design my environment to force concentration. The cost of context switching is high; It takes a long time to refocus after an interruption.
When I am in a specific place on campus, I am a researcher. In that space I do not review corporate communication channels. When I enter my house, I put my phone in a separate room. This simple environmental restriction ensures that I am present for my child. I make the right choice, the default choice, by eliminating the distraction option.
The data-driven review
The last component of this approach comes from Tim Ferriss. Instead of looking ahead with vague aspirations, I do a “Last Year in Review.” This process is analytical and based on real performance data.
I create two columns called “Positive” and “Negative.” Then I review my calendar from the previous year, week by week. I take note of the people, activities, and commitments that produced the best results in each category.
As a student and founder, this audit provides the necessary clarity. I often find that certain recurring meetings drain energy without adding value to the company. I found that specific areas of research were intellectually interesting but irrelevant to my thesis. Consequently, I see that spending time with my family specifically and consistently provided the greatest emotional return on investment.
Once the data is collected, I apply the 80/20 principle. I identify which 20% of the activities in the positive column produced the most significant results. So, I take immediate action. I schedule more of those experiences on the calendar for next year right away. At the same time, I create a “don’t do” list derived from the negative column. This acts as a filter. It allows me to eliminate obligations that do not serve my family, my career or my company.
The way forward
Whether you’re balancing a career portfolio, raising a family, or earning a degree, the principle remains constant. Sustainable change is not the result of a burst of enthusiasm in January. It is the result of small and consistent actions aligned with your real capabilities and values.
We often assume that to achieve important goals, like building a company or earning a PhD, we must be rigid with ourselves. We believe we need punitive resolutions. However, when already working under pressure, the rigidity leads to breaking points.
This year, I don’t set out to be a better parent, a smarter student, or a more successful founder. I’m simply building a system that facilitates those results. I’m optimizing for one micro-improvement a day. I’m trusting the protocol.
Progress creates the fuel we lack. We ensure the future by optimizing the present moment. For those who are too committed, this protocol offers a necessary operating system. Shift the goal from overnight transformation to sustainable high performance.