Why New Year resolutions fail

HABIT FORMATION: SHIFT THE FOCUS TO GROWTH, LEARNING AND GRADUAL PROGRESS

- Anja van Beek

The beginning of a new year is a special time. It's a moment filled with hope. You set goals, make resolutions, and dream of reaching the targets you set every year. But as the days roll by, many lose the spark and the motivation. Old habits creep in, and big dreams feel increasingly out of reach.

A 2024 survey by the Pew Research Centre found that less than a month into the new year, only 59% of people who made multiple resolutions had kept all of them. After that, the stick-to-it rate typically slides even more. So how can we break the cycle?

1. Reframe resolution to evolution

Reframing resolutions as evolutions shifts the focus to growth, learning, and gradual progress – allowing for flexibility and self-compassion along the way. In 2025, instead of focusing on impressive resolutions, lean into something more sustainable: momentum. Momentum starts small but grows, creating incredible progress with far less effort than we might imagine.

2. Big shifts start with tiny habits