New year, new you: How to crush your habits with the help of science

Make 2019 the year you actually do all the things you want to do. We asked the experts and checked the journals for the most useful tips you can take to heart.

It’s the shiniest time of year: that hopeful period when we imagine how remarkable — how fit and kind, how fiscally responsible — our future selves could be. And while you may think “new year, new you” is nothing more than a cringey, magazine-cover trope, research supports its legitimacy.

“It’s not like there’s something magical about Dec. 31,” explained Charles Duhigg, the author of “The Power of Habit.” “What is