Write your resolutions. On 31 December, you'll know.
A resolution you never read again isn't a resolution. Schedule delivery for the end of the year and face the verdict.
A resolution written so it can be checked stands a chance; the others mostly exist to make you feel good on 1 January. Written that day, a free capsül can reach the end of June at the latest, and 31 December needs the first pack. Below, how to write resolutions you can actually judge, and three examples that show no mercy.
1 January
Write down your goals. Delivery scheduled for 31 December.
The six-month check
A reminder at halfway, when the motivation has worn off.
The fitness goal
Describe where you are today. Read it back once you've put in the work.
Every year
One capsül a year. A decade of you, on file.
How do you write a resolution you can check?
With a number and a date, or you'll always win. "Read more" counts as done the moment you open a book in February. "Finish six novels by 31 December" can be checked.
Keep the list short. Past three goals, you'll pick one in February and forget the rest, which skews the result.
Write down the excuse you'll give if you fail, too. You already know what it is.
Reading it in December, in your own words, takes most of the shine off it. And it's often the excuse, more than the goal, that gets a reaction.
Is a halfway check worth it?
Yes, and it's the more useful of the two messages. In June there are six months left to catch up. In December there's only the verdict.
So schedule a second capsül for the end of June that repeats the goals with no comment. That one fits within the 180 days of the free tier. It doesn't judge anything: it reminds you what you wrote, while there's still time to act.
On what makes people write to themselves, this article has a few ideas. For the format, this writing guide still applies, even to a list.
What do resolutions you can judge look like?
A short, slightly cruel list. Here are three versions, including one for a whole team.
Beth, Resolutions from 1 January, copied out word for word: Finish six novels. Novels, not graphic novels. Put £100 aside every month, even in August. Ring Nan on Sundays instead of sending her cat videos. Excuse ready in case of failure: "it's been a difficult year". It's a difficult year every year, Beth. Score out of three: …
Nadia, Six months. We said: no phones at the table. Look up. I'm looking up too.
Team, On 2 January, we voted on two resolutions by the kettle. Here they are, untouched. No more meetings after 4pm on a Friday. Train Jordan on Excel before he redoes the holiday spreadsheet by hand. Tonight we tot up. If we've lost, bacon rolls are on me in January. Gary
Common questions
How do you actually keep New Year's resolutions?
By making them checkable and setting the moment of judgement in advance. A resolution with a number and a date, read back on a fixed day, leaves less room for wriggling. That's what Capsül is for: the message arrives on the chosen day, and you can't rewrite it in the meantime.
How do you get your resolutions back on 31 December?
Write them on Capsül on 1 January with yourself as the recipient and 31 December as the opening date. Without a pack, the horizon tops out at 180 days, so a whole year needs the first one. On 30 December, an email warns you the verdict lands the next day.
Can you share your resolutions with someone?
Yes, by adding them as a recipient: they'll get the same message on the same day, with their own link. A witness makes cheating more costly. From the first pack, a capsül takes up to three recipients, enough for a couple or a small group of friends.
What if you've failed?
Read the message to the end, then write another. A dated, documented failure is worth more than a resolution forgotten by March: at least you know what didn't work. Keep what held up and cut back the rest before scheduling the next round for the year after.