Why Do We Fall for the New Year's Resolution Trap Every Year?

Every January, millions set out with bold declarations to transform their lives, fueled by the promise of a "new year, new you." On the surface, the tradition of New Year's resolutions is inspiring—who wouldn’t want to start fresh and aim higher? Yet, year after year, the majority fail to follow through. Why? The problem lies not just in the concept but in the flawed way we approach it. If we truly want to make progress in 2024, it’s time to rethink resolutions altogether, crafting goals that are realistic, actionable, and sustainable.

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One of the first issues with common resolutions is that they are negative in nature.

They revolve around what is bad or any so called imperfections. A quick google search of the most used resolutions reveals that 69 percent of people base theirs around creating a healthier lifestyle whether that be losing weight or getting in shape. I've been a member at the LifeTime Fitness in my neighborhood to experience just how common this is. A few days before the new year I went in to notice an almost barren parking lot, with only a few regulars working out. Now fast forward just one week and I spent five minutes trying to find a parking spot. There were personal trainers everywhere focusing on the new members and it was as crowded as I've ever seen the place.

My hope is that LifeTime will remain this packed for the extended future but research has shown us that many will not make it to the month of February. This goes back to what I meant by the goals being negative in nature. Notice the wording of the goals were losing weight and getting in shape. This directly implies the individual has is not at an appropriate weight and is not in shape. While it may seem like a small thing to do, simply by changing the wording to something along the lines of utilizing a food journal to track diet could have an outstanding impact. Now the two are very similar but one is centered around what is already negative about the person and one focuses on creating something positive. A food journal would make one inherently more conscious about their food intake and would likely lead them to make healthy decisions when it comes to eating. A straightforward change such as this is all it takes to change the nature of the goal and by creating a positive one in that, has a much higher likelihood the individual can defy statistics and stick to their resolution.

The second reason many struggle to sustain their initial burst of ambition is that most resolutions are overly focused on outcomes rather than the process.

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There is little to no attention to the process where the real success and strides come from. I will use my earlier example about weight loss. If someone's resolution is they want to lose 25 pounds, the only thing in their head is the number 25. Every time they step onto a treadmill they'll be sprinting towards 25. This may not sound like the worst thing in the world but what's missing? The answer is their is no gratification when five pounds are lost. There's no delight when someone can run a mile with more ease than they could have a month prior. The only thing they are focused on is that they have not reached the end result of 25 pounds lost. This can create an adverse affect and dissuade people from continuing to actively pursue their goals. Some people just aren't meant to lose 25 pounds no matter how hard they run, they many calories they burn or how much they can transform their diet. The beauty is in the process of transforming how they go about their lives. While prior they may have been someone content with walking around with some extra weight on their stomach, the process changed them overtime to someone who takes initiative and looks for opportunities to better themselves.

The concept of transforming is essential when it comes to resolutions. It has to do with a few things. First, the person has to make the conscious decision that they want to change their identity. This has nothing to do with changing their identity when it comes to everything, but simply they one thing they want to see progress in. If one wants to go to the gym more then they should want to create the identity of someone who refuses to miss a workout. If they mask the identity of one who wants to spend all their spare time in the gym, then little by little that conscious decision will become more of a habit overtime. With that, the resolution is no longer a resolution and has become a new lifestyle.

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New Year's resolutions are great. They give so much hope to all and if everyone could manage to maintain theirs for longer than the month of January, everyone would experience great success. The bright side of this is that with a little change and more of a deliberate approach, these goals can become accomplishments for all.