Why Most New Year's Resolutions Fail
Published December 12th, 2024
Updated December 18th, 2025
4 min read
Why most people abandon their goals midway through January and what you can do to ensure success.
Written by Simon Spichak
Most people abandon their New Year’s resolutions within the first two weeks of January. It isn’t because they lack willpower. Making change is hard without a good goal-setting system in place. Here’s why last year’s resolutions failed and what you could do to build new, lasting habits in 2026.
How often do New Year’s resolutions fail?
Around 88% of New Year’s resolutions don’t last until February. Many common resolutions like eating healthier, saving money, or exercising consistently feel overwhelming early on. The slow, steady progress from these habits are difficult to notice day-to-day, leading to a loss of motivation. Setting up resilient systems and working with a therapist boosts the chances of success.
Five key reasons New Year’s resolutions fail
#1 Your resolution is too ambitious or abrupt
Massive life changes are difficult to accomplish. Don’t get me wrong. Setting goals like building an extra 10 kg of muscle mass, running a marathon, or saving a lot of money are all great. But these goals are overwhelming, especially when you’re stressed. Start small: add gradual lifting, one weekly jog, and cut down on takeout.
#2 Your goal isn’t specific enough
Vague resolutions like "be healthier" or “be happier” don’t provide any starting points. Focus on specific actions instead, like walking 15 minutes every day in the morning.
#3 You don’t know why you’re trying to make a change
The Stages of Change Model emphasizes the importance of reflecting on your goals and why you want to achieve them. Think about why you want to make change, understanding any doubts and potential benefits you gain. With that knowledge, putting resolutions into action becomes easier and it also weeds out any goals you wouldn’t be motivated to follow through on.
#4 You’re ignoring real life obstacles
A successful resolution needs to be flexible enough to fit around busy work and family schedules, as well as other commitments. Figure out when you’ll have time to work on goals and build in backup times for resilience is essential.
#5 You’re tackling it solo
Trying to make a big change solo is hard. Share your goals with a friend or family member to keep yourself committed and accountable. Track the progress or work with a therapist to stay on course.
Smart, specific goal-setting
For 2026, focus on one to three smart goals. Aim for specific changes in habits that work to improve well-being. They don’t need to be perfect.
Here’s a few examples of how you could rework goals to be more realistic.
Common resolution: Get organized
The smart, specific version: Use a weekly planner consistently to schedule your work, exercise, and other habits.
Common resolution: Feel happier.
The smart, specific version: Take five minutes at the start of the day to journal about what you’re grateful for.
Common resolution: Get in shape.
The smart, specific version: Go to the gym for 30 minutes at least once a week.
Build in milestones and reward yourself for staying on track. That might mean a reward every week or every month. Expect bad days and setbacks and use those opportunities to learn why things went wrong. Get support from friends, family members, and mental health professionals.
How Resolvve can help
Some people make resolutions because they’re unhappy with how their life is going. They may struggle to find meaning or have difficulty managing anxiety, burnout, or intrusive thoughts. Resolvve’s therapists can help you figure out what’s driving the need for change, and will help you set up a plan for success with your 2026 New Year’s resolutions. Book a free consultation to get started today.
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes; it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional, please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
