New years resolutions (why are we so bad at them)

As 2025 draws to a close and the curtain is raised on 2026, millions around the world will be marking the occasion by setting a new years resolution. For some it will be “getting in shape”, for others a pledge to “save more money”. But fast forward a couple of months and most will be abandoned, one study placing the number as high as 81%. Historians date the concept of New years resolutions back to the Bablyonian period in 2000BC, begging the question, with 4000 years of practice, why are we still so rubbish at them?

An 1813 article in a Boston newspaper surmised the situation for many of us.

And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people, accustomed to receive injunctions of new year resolutions, who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behaviour, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults

For those who’ve had a particularly “sinful” December, the 1st of January offers a chance to create separation between our old and new self, a resolve to turn things around and a clean slate on which to print our aspirations for the coming year. Referred to in Psychology as the “fresh start” effect, the increase in motivation we experience after “temporal landmarks” is perhaps at it’s most powerful during the new year period.

While new years is the perfect time to set a goal in this respect, it probably couldn’t come at a worse time in others. January can be a stressful period, with people being stretched due to the figurative and literal hangover of the festive season. The so called “January Blues” and resulting lack of emotional bandwidth may cause our goals to take a back seat to the more pressing commitments of everyday life.

The contrast in mindset between a hopeful new years eve and a cold mid-January night can be stark. We won’t be the same people as when we set our goals and we need to plan accordingly.

The night before work we might set out our clothes at the end of the bed, knowing we’ll be too tired and rushed in the morning. Similarly, we need to be cognizant of our varying motivation levels when we consider the pursuit of our goals. A plan that’s flexible and works within our limitations can considerably improve our chance of success.

Even if your goal is grand, the steps you take to get there don’t have to be. Over the course of a year even the smallest of actions, repeated consistently, can compound into progress unimaginable just 12 months before.

Good luck to anyone trying to make a change in 2026!

Thanks for reading,

Mike

New Years Resolution study The resolution solution: longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts - PubMed

A History of New Years Resolutions Why do we make New Year's resolutions? A brief history of a long tradition | GBH

If you found this useful you might like to try the HabitAid Blueprint, a frameworks for setting goals. To learn more visit the HabitAid homepage.

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