Why We Don't Do New Year's Resolutions (And What We Do Instead)
My husband is NOT a fan of New Year’s resolutions.
If you know his background as a family medicine physician, it’s easier to understand why. Every day, he sees anywhere from 13-15 patients and, quite often, they want/need to make some meaningful change in their life.
I want to lose weight.
I want to eat healthier.
I want to stop smoking.
Don’t get me wrong. These are all great things! But the problem with these resolutions lies not in the intention but the application.
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How many people actually keep their New Year’s Resolutions?
It’s the same old story every year. You probably see it at your local gym or pool. There’s a mad rush of new folks from about January 1-14th, and then it quickly peters out as people give up and fall back into old patterns.
Did you know that 40-50% of people make New Year’s resolutions, but only 9% keep them?
Success Rates:
First week- 23% of people quit during the first week in January
First month- 64% give up by the end of the month
First few months- The average resolution lasts under 4 months
First year- Only 9% successfully stick with their resolution the whole year
People make the same resolutions each year and hope for a different result. But…
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”- Rita Mae Brown
If you want to enact change in your life- real, meaningful, sustainable change- then keep reading.
What’s the problem with New Year’s Resolutions?
One of the issues with New Year’s resolutions is the idea that the you on January 1st will be different than the you that you were on December 31st.
I understand the appeal. You want a fresh start, a clean slate. The turning of the page on the calendar seems to somehow erase who you were in the past and provides a hopeful outlook for a bright, shiny future.
But here’s the truth: There’s only one day in your life when your past is forgotten, you’re forgiven, and made new, and that doesn’t happen on January 1st. (I mean it could… but that’s not the point.)
Problem #1- Waiting until the new year to make a change, instead of doing it when you recognize you need a change
Waiting to make a change until a random day arrives on a calendar is a stall tactic. If you want to make a change, you can do so on March 6th or June 12th, just the same. This becomes a problem when the magical timeline contributes to a “pass or fail” mentality.
“If I don’t keep my resolution every day starting on January 1st, then the streak is broken and I’ve failed!”
I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I was 100% successful at something the first time I tried. Part of realistic goal-setting is having the ability to be flexible and understand that just because you backslide or fall into old patterns, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It’s just an opportunity for another fresh start. “His mercies are new every morning.”- Lamentations 3:22-23
Mindset Shift: There’s no New Year’s resolution rule that says you can’t start again. You can keep trying a second, third, fourteenth, or one hundredth time. The important thing is that you keep trying, and in the process, you might learn something valuable about yourself along the way.
Problem #2- No plan of action
The issue with most resolutions is a lack of specificity. They’re too vague, and there’s no action plan for how to accomplish the goal.
For example, these are crappy resolutions. Here’s why:
I want to eat healthier
Ok, great! But what does that mean?… Will you commit to cooking dinner three times a week? Will you start drinking water instead of soda at meals? Are you cutting down your daily cookie allotment from 5 to 2 cookies? ;)
I want to lose weight
Wonderful! How much weight, by when, and for what purpose? Are you going to start exercising three days a week? Are you going to cut down on sweets and sugary foods?
No wonder people have such a hard time sticking with resolutions… there’s no plan for how to do it!
Mindset Shift: Don’t make a resolution for the sake of making a resolution. To enact real change, stop focusing on what you want and decide how you’re going to do it.
Problem #3- Making too many (too aggressive) changes at once
Let’s go back to the gym example. Consider NYR Guy (New Year’s Resolution Guy). He hasn’t exercised in a few years, or considers exercising to be his “very active” job. His doctor says those pesky blood pressure numbers and pre-diabetes symptoms won’t go away unless he does some form of cardiovascular exercise, eats healthier, and cuts down on his daily alcohol consumption.
So, he commits to get healthy in the new year! He gets a gym membership and starts working out every day. He stops drinking alcohol completely. He starts meal-prepping breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sounds great, right?
Not when he gives up the first week, because he’s burned out. NYR Guy had great intentions, but went about it the wrong way. He tried to make too many (and too aggressive) changes at once. That isn’t sustainable.
Instead, consider whether your goal is realistic. Then, make a plan of attack with specific steps and a timeline. Finally, make one small change at a time so you can actually stick with it.
Mindset Shift: Don’t make resolutions. Develop better habits you can stick with for the long-term.
Here’s an example of a better plan.
Month 1: Develop a habit of basic cardio activity 3 times a week. Maybe it’s a walk, maybe it’s a gym session, or better yet a group class.
Month 2: Strive to cook your own dinner 2-3 times a week.
Month 3: Try to cut down alcohol consumption to 2-3 drinks a week.
This way, there’s a much better chance that NYR Guy can make meaningful changes that will stick with him for the long-term. Instead of trying to do everything at once, start small. Develop good habits and consistency first. Then, the progress you make will motivate you and might even inspire you to make bigger changes.
How to Set SMART Goals You Can Actually Achieve
Instead of making a New Year’s resolution, set a SMART goal!
Goals should be:
S- Specific
First, a goal must be specific. What do you want to accomplish and what steps must you take?
M- Measurable
A goal must be measurable. You must be able to quantify your goal in order to track progress and stay motivated.
A- Achievable
A goal must be achievable. It’s reality-check time. Is this something that’s reasonable to accomplish with your current skillset and abilities?
R- Relevant
A goal must be relevant. This is where you think about your why. It makes a big difference in motivation and consistency if you know why achieving a specific goal is important to you.
T- Time bound
A goal needs a time frame. This not only helps you stay on track, but it also encourages action and provides an end point to work towards. That doesn’t mean the timeline can’t be adjusted if needed. But you have to start somewhere, or else it’s just a vague idea and not an actual goal.
Want help to achieve your goals in 2026? The rest of this post is for paid subscribers. It contains:
Examples of Goal Makeovers (Is your goal good or bad?)
6 Secrets I’ve Used to Achieve BIG Goals
SMART Goals Action Plan with guided questions
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