In January of 2025, around half of all adults in the U.S. made a New Year’s Resolution. Now, as we approach the end of 2025, thousands are looking back on the progress they did (or didn’t) make and gearing up to make their 2026 New Year’s Resolutions.
Depending on how well your 2025 New Year goals went, you might be feeling rather discouraged. Maybe it was your third year in a row trying to make the same goal. Maybe the infamous Quitter’s Day (the second Friday in January) knocked you off course. Maybe you reached your goal but couldn’t maintain it.
New Year’s resolutions are infamously hard to achieve and maintain. If you’re one of the thousands who didn’t reach their goal this year, don’t feel ashamed.
A lot of failed resolutions happen because the goals were faulty to begin with. This article will dive into 4 reasons why New Year’s Resolutions fail and how to make them last.
Reason 1: You’re Thinking Too Big
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New Year’s Resolutions often make the mistake of being vague directions we want to head towards and lack any real, substantial steps.
For example, common New Year’s Resolutions are, “I want to lose weight.” “I want to be healthier.” “I want to save money.”
Those goals are great, but they’re hardly more than signage telling you the general direction you should take.
What specifically do you want out of 2026?
Solution: Make Small, Actionable Steps
Use milestones to help break big, directionless goals into smaller, actionable steps. “I want to lose weight” can turn into “I want to go to the gym three times a week.” From there, break it down even smaller: “I want to increase my bench press by 20 pounds.”
Finally, add a time element to it. “I want to increase my bench press by 20 pounds by April.
Reason 2: You Don’t Have a Why
A lot of people make a goal because they feel like it’s what they're supposed to do. It’s not personal to them or solves an issue they have in their life. They have no reason to do it besides “it’s what everyone else is doing.”
The key to making New Year’s Resolutions work is intrinsic motivation; motivation that comes from within. Find a goal that you want to accomplish, not one that you think you should be doing.
Solution: Make Goals with Reason
What are your core values? What type of person do you want to be, and what type of life do you want to live?
These might seem like big questions, but answering them first will help you make New Year’s Resolutions that are sick.
This is actually the general theory behind Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a proven effective treatment for many different mental health issues. ACT encourages you to make a list of your values and commit to living them out every day. Instead of relying on old habits to dictate our decisions, we ask ourselves: “How can I live according to my values right now?”
Recommended Reading: 21 Unique New Year’s Resolutions
Reason 3: You Don’t Actually Want to Change
A common theory in psychology (specifically Motivational Interviewing) is that not achieving your goal has to be more uncomfortable than achieving your goal.
Change is hard. It’s often uncomfortable. There is resistance to change; your body wants to take the path of least resistance. So to make a New Year’s Resolution stick, make a goal that is bringing you somewhere better than where you are.
Solution: Make Goals that Matter
Make a list of things you are unhappy about in your life. What do you wish could change? How would you go about changing it?
Finding intrinsic motivation is the first step. Identifying negatives for staying as you are is the second. What will happen if you don’t accomplish this goal? What are the repercussions?
Maybe you won’t be able to be as active with your kids if you don’t achieve your physical goal. You won’t be able to take that dream vacation if you don’t reach your financial goal.
Set some sort of stakes for if you fail. You’re working towards something great, and staying behind is not an option.
Reason 4: You Don’t Know What Happens After
You overcame the odds and made it to the top of the mountain. You’re ecstatic, filled with pride…. And then what? What happens after you reach your goal?
Unless you’ve made a strong habit and have a plan to keep that habit in place, you might lose the progress you made. True change requires not just a plan to get there, but a plan to keep that change there for the long term.
Solution: Make a Maintenance Plan or Next Step
First, make sure your goal isn’t just about reaching the goal. What lifestyle changes are you going to implement to get you there? Are those changes sustainable? If not, you risk burning yourself out.
To make sure goals last, make the steps sustainable. Then, include an “off ramp”, or a plan to transition you into a maintenance stage after you reach your goal.
For example, if you’re trying to get fit, you might sign up for a 5k in June. You train all year and run the race. You did it! But then what? Will you continue to run? Will you switch to a different activity?
Think about what happens after you meet your goal. Where do you see yourself, and what are you doing? How can you implement those lifestyle changes into the steps of your goal?
Make New Year’s Resolutions that Last
A New Year’s Resolution should be:
Specific: Clearly define what you want to accomplish. A specific goal focuses on one clear outcome without being vague.
Measurable: Identify how you will track your progress or know when the goal is achieved. This includes numbers, milestones, or clear indicators.
Attainable: Make sure the goal is realistic and achievable with your current resources, time, and abilities—ambitious but still possible.
Relevant: Ensure the goal aligns with your values, priorities, or long-term plans. It should matter to you and fit your bigger picture.
Timely: Set a deadline or timeframe. A time limit creates urgency and helps you stay motivated and accountable.
These are called “SMART” goals and are a structured goal-setting mechanism that helps you create lasting goals.
Making New Year’s Resolutions is a great way to create the life you want to be living. These steps can help you create goals that stick long enough to change your life for the better.
Recommended Reading: 15 New Year's Resolutions For Your Mental Health
If you have trouble with keeping your goals and you want some extra help going into 2026, talk to a Life Coach or therapist. Counseling isn’t just for people who are struggling with their mental health. It can be for people who want to make a positive change in their lives, too.
Lifebulb has Life coaches and therapists with open availability and who accept most major insurances. Contact us to be scheduled with a life coach today.
