As the excitement of the new year fades, many find their resolutions slipping away.
According to research by Summit Counseling Services, by the second week of February, 80% of New Year’s resolutions have failed.
Millions of people worldwide set New Year’s resolutions every year in the hopes that a new year will offer new beginnings.
New Year’s resolutions are intended to be a tool for self-improvement, whether the goal is to save money, exercise more, eat healthier, or learn a new skill.
However, the truth is that many people give up on these goals by February.
So, why are resolutions so hard to stick to, and how can we make them more achievable?
A University of Scranton study found that only 8% of people who set New Year resolutions really follow through on them.
This high failure rate might be discouraging for people who start the year with motivation but end up going back to their old habits.
Another study by Statista reveals that the most common resolutions involve losing weight (about 47%), exercising more (38%), saving money (34%), and focusing on self-care (28%).
All of these resolutions have one thing in common: they are often too unrealistic, making them harder to maintain in the long term.
“People feel obligated to do them, and they make them too broad in general,” French Teacher Angela Kintscher said.
“I normally won’t bother making one because I’m scared of failing,” Junior Olivia Echeveste said. “After a while, the motivation goes away and the goal starts to feel more like a chore, and when the motivation is gone, giving up becomes easier.”
The struggle to stay on track is real.
Change is difficult, and the numbers back it up.
According to the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes 18 to 254 days to form a new habit.
The study also concluded that on average, it takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.
This shows that unrealistic expectations around how quickly change should happen can lead to frustration, especially when progression feels slow.
While the statistics and personal experiences may suggest New Year’s resolutions are doomed to fail, it doesn’t mean we should give up on setting goals.
There are several strategies that can increase your chances of success.
“If you do more small, manageable goals, it can be feasible.
I like to do rewards for myself as I’m achieving my goals because it motivates me more,” Kintscher said.
Since smaller goals are more manageable, focusing on them helps you to “pace yourself and not feel overwhelmed by a big, vague, ambitious goal,” Echeveste said.
“Smaller increments can be beneficial, like drinking an extra glass of water per day, or adding something healthy in each meal.”
Instead of resolutions, Kintscher is completing a 2025 bingo card.
Some are based on saving money, and “No Shop January.”
“I’m almost done with that. It’s a mix of exercise goals, financial goals, and travel goals. They’re also kind of silly fun things. I painted my nails a fun color, and one was to have an impromptu dance, and we did that.”
In 2023, Echeveste set a goal of not repeating outfits for at least a month, to get her to wear more clothes in her closet, and to be more creative.
“I did this by creating a Google doc with a table that included the date, my top or jacket, and pants. This tracker not only helped me achieve my goal of not outfit repeating, but it also made me organized, as I was able to plan my outfits in advance. I’m glad I ended up making this resolution because I still use the outfit tracker to this day,” Echeveste said.
Accountability is also an important factor to remember when striving to achieve resolutions.
A study from the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that individuals with accountable partners or loved ones are more likely to stick to their resolutions and follow through with goals, specifically with health, fitness and finance.
Another study by the International Coach Federation stated that individuals who worked with a coach and had regular accountability check-ins were 70% more likely to achieve their goals compared to those who lacked accountability support.
While New Year’s resolutions often come with the best of intentions, success hinges on setting realistic, specific goals and approaching them with a sense of flexibility, accountability, and patience.
By focusing on manageable steps and understanding that habits take time to form, we can improve our chances of success.
After all, the new year should be about progress—not perfection.
