New year resolutions are notorious for not lasting beyond January. When we resolve to start a habit is when our motivation is at its highest. At the stroke of midnight on New Years. At the end of an educational conference filling our brains with the latest changes in our field that we are yet to catch up on.

What we often forget is that this version of us is not the one who will eventually have to sustain the habit. Rather it is the version of “us” after a long day at work. The version of “us” who is woken up by the alarm after 4 hours of sleep.

Researchers call this the empathy gap. When planning for a new routine, think of the person you will be at the time of execution. This will allow us to consciously pick the most optimal time as well as set realistic and empathetic goals. Ones that we are more likely to meet and sustain in the long term.