New Year’s brings the same cycle of ambitious resolutions meant to change lives, but lasting changes do not happen overnight.
Each January, people commit to goals such as exercising more, eating healthier or improving productivity. By February, many of those promises are already slipping.
Behavioural research shows most New Year’s resolutions fade quickly. According to 'How Many People Stick to New Year’s Resolutions?' published by the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, about 80 per cent of resolutions are abandoned by mid-February, while only about eight per cent of people maintain their goals long term.
Lindsay Juarez, a behavioural scientist at Irrational Labs for research and development, said the problem is not a lack of motivation but unrealistic expectations.
“People rely heavily on the fresh start feeling of the new year,” Juarez said. “But the barriers that existed in December still exist in January. Without changing the structure of daily life, behaviour usually falls back into old patterns.”
She said many resolutions fail because they focus on outcomes rather than habits.
“Goals like losing weight to being more productive are outcomes,” Juarez said. “What actually matters is reinforcing the behaviour that leads to those outcomes.”
Life coach Mason Coates said he sees a surge of clients every January who want rapid change without addressing the habits behind them.
“People expect their lives to change because the calendar changes,” Coates said. “But change only happens when someone sees real value in it and is willing to get uncomfortable.”
He said many people set too many goals at once, creating pressure that leads to burnout.
“When you write a long list of resolutions without a plan, it becomes overwhelming,” Coates said. “That’s when people quit.”
Some people are approaching resolutions differently this year by setting fewer, more realistic goals.
Justina Kandiotis, a second-year massage therapy student, said her 2026 resolution focuses on personal growth rather than drastic lifestyle changes.
“In past years, my goals were superficial,” she said. “This year, I’m working on fixing past mistakes and becoming more professional in my program.”
Kandiotis said reflecting on past failures helped her set goals she believes she can maintain.
“I learned from how I handled things before,” she said. “Now my goals are deeper and more connected to who I want to be.”
Juarez said reframing failure is key to long-term success.
“Missing a day doesn’t mean you failed,” she said. “People need to build in flexibility and expect setbacks.
As February begins, experts say abandoning a resolution does not mean giving up entirely. Instead, they recommend reassessing goals and adjusting habits to better fit daily life.
“Change isn’t about willpower,” Juarez said. “It’s about designing your environment so the right choice is easier to make.”
