Why Most New Year's Resolutions Fail: How to Make Yours Stick

It's nearing the end of the year, and, like one-third of other Americans, you want to set new year's resolutions. How far will you go with them? Did you achieve your goals for this year?

A 2023 survey revealed that 87% of people were confident they would stick to their resolutions. However, only 22% had remained entirely committed by February, and 54% had ‘mostly’ stayed on track.

Source: patient.info

Succeeding at New Year's resolutions requires changing behaviors and forming new habits, for which you need repeated consistent action. For example, to achieve a fitness goal, you need to build a habit of routine exercising.

Sounds pretty straightforward.

The question is: why do many people fail at their New Year's resolutions? We'll explore the science of habit formation and reveal actionable tips to help you stick with your 2025 resolutions.

Why Is It Hard to Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions?

If you struggle to stick to your new year's resolutions, you're making one of the following mistakes:

1. Your Goals Are Too Big & Vague

To reinvent themselves or break old patterns, people set unrealistic goals that become difficult to believe in, even for those who set them. Psychology professor Peter Herman and his colleagues describe this tendency as the ‘false hope syndrome’.

Such goals are unlikely to be accomplished because people in this category focus solely on outcomes rather than the process and become demotivated when they cannot see quick results.

For example, the most popular resolutions among Americans are to get fit and save more money. In 2024, 48% prioritized fitness, while 38% aimed for financial growth.

Source: Forbes Health

If you aspire to similar goals, you might set resolutions like ‘get fit by December’ or ‘save enough for a new car.’ However, these goals are broad and cannot be measured in the short term, making it harder to hold yourself accountable for the process.

2. You're Doing Too Much, Too Fast

Another common mistake people make is trying to reinvent every aspect of their lives at once. A 2023 Forbes Health survey showed that 45% of adults planned to set three new year's resolutions, and 7.5% aimed for five or more.

Many people aim to upskill, save, invest, socialize, and eat healthy in the new year. However, committing to all these goals at once can be overwhelming, and losing track of one can trigger a domino effect, causing people to feel less motivated towards others.

Sometimes, it's a matter of timing where people set ambitious goals but want results in a short time—one year or less.

For instance, you can resolve to reach a fitness goal by your next birthday, find a new role before your current contract ends, and learn a new skill within the year. While each of these is achievable, simultaneously pursuing multiple high-impact goals can lead to burnout and frustrate your progress.

3. You're Taking An Avoidant Approach

Many people approach their new year's resolutions with avoidant behaviors—making abrupt lifestyle changes to deny themselves things they like. But, the human brain is wired to resist deprivation of habits that bring pleasure or reward.

In his research on Self-Regulation and Willpower, social psychologist Roy Baumeister notes that this restrictive approach often results in the 'what-the-hell effect,' a phenomenon where a slight lapse triggers binge behavior and a total abandonment of the resolution.

For instance, if you resolve to quit smoking in the new year, deciding to go cold turkey means enduring moments you’d typically fill with a smoke break. Without a replacement habit, this approach can feel like punishment, making it harder to sustain the change.

The Science of Habit Formation

As determined and optimistic as you are about your new year's resolutions, you still need a clear plan to form the proper habits. So, how are good habits formed?

1. Set Action-Oriented Goals

The types of goals you set matter when it comes to habit formation.

To succeed, set your new year's resolutions in terms of actions to take rather than behaviors to avoid. A study published in PLoS One shows that people who set action-oriented goals are significantly more successful at sticking with their resolutions than those who set avoidance-oriented goals.

Studies in behavioral psychology show that our minds respond better to positive reinforcement than negative avoidance. Charles Duhigg's habit loop theory also highlights the importance of actively replacing habits with new, positive ones rather than avoiding them.

For instance, rather than setting a resolution to just ‘quit smoking,’ you can resolve to take a walk or eat an apple every time you feel like smoking.

2. Set Measurable and Specific Goals

The psychology of goal setting shows that clear, measurable goals increase the chances of successfully forming new habits.

Create an action plan for your new year's resolution and break down big objectives into smaller, proximal goals. This approach prioritizes the process over outcomes and gives you quick wins that boost your motivation.

In a study by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University, participants who wrote down their goals were 22% more successful than those who didn't. Those who drew up detailed action plans, tracked their progress, and stayed accountable to friends performed even better.

For instance, rather than simply resolving to ‘learn a new language,’ resolve to ‘study German for 30 minutes daily.’ You're more likely to stick to your new year's resolution if it offers an actionable path where you can track progress.

3. Aim For Long-term Consistency

Habit formation results from consistent, repetitive behavior over a long time. Aim for small, consistent, and sustainable progress without the pressure of a rigid timeframe.

There's a popular theory that habits take 21 days to form—this is an urban myth with an interesting backstory. In reality, it takes an average of 66 days to create new habits, but this number varies across individuals due to factors like motivation, environment, and the complexity of the new behavior.

For example, if you're a developer resolving to learn a new programming language in 2025, avoid pursuing it full-time at the expense of your other commitments. Instead, break it down into sustainable, daily goals, like coding for 15-30 minutes each morning.

The longer you stay consistent, the easier the new behavior gets until it becomes second nature.

Strategies To Achieve 2025 New Year's Resolutions

1. Set Simple, Short-term Goals: Commit to short-term, actionable steps with immediate reward rather than long-term goals with delayed gratifications.

2. Change Environments: The spaces, people, and routines around you shape your habits. Consider the factors that affect your adoption of new, positive behaviors and change what you can.

3. Track Progress: Use a good habit-tracking app to keep track of goals and progress. 35% of Americans chose this method to pursue their 2024 New Year’s resolutions.

4. Plan & Journal: Planning and recording your process increases accountability. Aim for daily, weekly, or monthly success streaks, and note your successes and challenges.

5. Forgive Fall-Offs: Don't expect to forge habits straightaway. If you miss a routine or two, just get back on track. Skipping the odd day does not derail your habit formation process.

6. Adjust & Optimize: If a new routine starts to bore you, switch it up. Enjoying your journey increases the chances of sticking with your resolution.

7. Sleep More: Aim for 7 - 9 hours of sleep daily. Quality sleep impacts the success of the most popular new year's resolutions.

Embrace Habit Formation: Stick To Your New Year's Resolutions With Goal Trackers

Forging new habits is the key to sticking with your new year's resolution. While traditional journals have their charm, goal-tracking apps help visualize your progress and keep you on course.

GoalScript takes a unique approach to goal achievement, focusing on the psychology of achievement. More than just tracking tasks, it helps break down your goals into daily, measurable tasks while providing the structure and accountability you need to stay on track.

GoalScript offers to help you:

• Transform ambitious goals into clear, manageable steps through a structured goal hierarchy
• Build momentum through an achievement system that recognizes your progress.
• Stay accountable with daily and weekly planning tools
• Maintain consistency through visual progress tracking and streaks
• Connect your daily actions to your longer-term goals

Whether you're advancing your career or balancing multiple life goals, GoalScript's thoughtfully designed features help you turn your resolutions into lasting habits by focusing on consistent, measurable progress.

Ready to make 2025 your most productive year yet? Download GoalScript from the App Store today and transform your resolutions into lasting habits with our innovative goal tracking system.