New Year's Resolutions That Actually Stick
2 part episodes: Deep Diving into Sustainable Goal Setting
Happy Holidays from the HomeEc Podcast 
HomeEc Episode 3:
Dear Kitchen Table Friends,
This week, we're diving deep into the transformative practice of choosing a Word of the Year, where Nick and Moraya find themselves wrestling with a familiar parenting challenge: the shame of juggling too many responsibilities, career, relationships, home. Their candid conversation leads to a powerful discovery about using their chosen words as anchors during overwhelming moments. To help navigate this journey, they're joined by goal-setting expert Dr. Lindsay Roberts, who shows us how creating meaningful change requires the right ingredients, proper timing, and a dash of patience.
🥄 This Week's Main Ingredients
Nick and Moraya join Dr. Roberts to unpack the science behind successful goal setting, exploring how one carefully chosen word can transform our approach to life's daily challenges. Together, they delve into practical strategies for using your word as a compass when feeling overwhelmed, while Lindsay shares powerful insights from her work in psychological safety and resilience training that can help parents navigate the complex balance of family life and personal growth.
Dr. Lindsay Roberts is a professional coach, speaker, and founder of Lindsay Roberts & Co., specializing in psychological safety, resilience, and leadership development. She also serves as the Director of Learning & Development for a leading direct-to-consumer insurance organization. With advanced degrees in Sport and Performance Psychology and Interdisciplinary Leadership, Lindsay has over a decade of experience empowering individuals and teams to achieve exceptional results.
She has served as a Master Resilience Trainer for the U.S. Army, head of Talent Development at a Fortune 500 company, and college professor. Lindsay’s doctoral research on psychological safety in the nuclear energy industry underscores her mission to turn this concept into actionable workplace strategies that drive safety, employee engagement, and performance. Above all, she believes, “The bottom line is relationships matter.”
🫕 Key Recipe Notes
The Power of One Word:
Our brains process single words 50% faster than sentences
Words create emotional anchors for decision-making
Simple focus leads to sustainable change
Regular reflection deepens word impact
Goal Setting Science:
SMART+ goals with emotional connection (75% increase):
Harvard Business School study by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer: "The Progress Principle" (2011)
Related research: "The Role of Emotion in Goal Setting: A New Direction" in Journal of Applied Psychology (2019) by Latham & Locke
Implementation intentions (300% increase):
Original research by Peter Gollwitzer: "Implementation Intentions: Strong Effects of Simple Plans" (1999) in American Psychologist
Follow-up meta-analysis published in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (2006)
Monthly reviews (40% improvement):
American Psychological Association study on goal monitoring and progress (2016)
Related work: "Goal Setting and Task Performance" by Locke & Latham in Psychological Bulletin
Small consistent steps research:
B.J. Fogg's "Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything" (2020)
Research from University College London published in European Journal of Social Psychology on habit formation
Word Categories to Consider:
Growth words: Flourish, Expand, Wellness
Action words: Create, Build, Move
Emotional states: Warmth, Joy, Balance
Character traits: Authentic, Brave, Resilient
🥘 Practical Tips to Try
Before Choosing Your Word:
Set aside 30 minutes of quiet time
Review your past year's patterns - what feeling in your body keeps coming back?
Notice which areas of life keep asking for attention
Identify what consistently gets left off your list
Consider desired feelings for 2025
During the Process:
Write freely without judgment or try a voice memo
Test words for emotional resonance
Create implementation intentions
Schedule monthly check-ins with a friend, partner, or kid
🍽️ Taste Test: Journal Prompts
What do you want to feel more of in 2025?
Which qualities do you wish to embody?
How do you want your relationships to evolve?
What would make 2025 feel meaningful?
👩🍳 From Our Hosts' Kitchen Nick shares his journey of choosing "wellness" as his word for 2025, focusing on positive emotions, engaging activities, and meaningful relationships. Moraya joins him in this wellness journey, demonstrating how two different approaches to the same word can create unique paths to growth. They do this intentionally so that throughout the year we can really understand how their similarities in their identities, SonaTypes, and systems around them impact how they implement and stick with their goals.
Dr. Lindsay illuminates how even small wins rewire our brains, sharing a powerful story of working with a soldier who wanted to walk at the same time as his one-year-old daughter - a reminder that our most meaningful goals often connect deeply to our relationships.
🌟 Quotes to Savor "If we're comfortable, we're doing it wrong." - Shared wisdom from Ted Lasso
"The bottom line is relationships matter - even in our relationship with our goals." - Dr. Lindsay Roberts
"Your word becomes your compass. In moments of uncertainty, it gently guides you back to your intentions."
"Give yourself grace and be flexible."
"We can change our brain at any age."
🎙️ Next Course Join us next week as we explore "Reducing the Barrier to Closeness in Relationships."
Until next week, Nick & Moraya
P.S. Share your Word of the Year with our community using #HomeEcPodcast. Remember, like perfecting a family recipe, finding your perfect word and integrating that into daily rituals might take some experimentation - and that's perfectly okay. Give yourself grace and lean into flexibility.
📱 Join Our Kitchen Table Conversations
Instagram/TikTok: @homeecpod Email: info@HomeEcPodcast.com, Moraya@homeecpodcast.com Nick@homeecpodcast.com Website: Personawealth.com + HomeEcPodcast.com
Special Feature: Follow Nick and Moraya's Wellness Journeys in 2025 Track their monthly progress through our newsletter and social media as they explore paths to growth and vulnerability. Experience their shared moments of shame, joy, and mutual support—revealing how different identities shape unique approaches even with the same “Word of the Year” that is rooted in core values.
Want more wellness recipes? Sign up for our newsletter on the HomeEcPodcast.com website.
