By Chris Gooder | Performance Psychologist
New year, same old good intentions...
“This is the year I get in shape”
“This is the year I use my time more efficiently”
“This is the year I finally look after myself”
And by mid-February (if you’ve done well!), most of it has quietly disappeared.
The problem isn’t motivation. It isn’t discipline. And it certainly isn’t that you don’t want to change or just don’t care enough. The problem is that New Year’s resolutions are built on a misunderstanding of how behaviour change actually works.
Change is infrastructure and process-driven, both of which don’t get built through bursts of enthusiasm once a year.
The myth of the fresh start
January feels powerful because it looks like a clean slate. New calendar. New gym memberships. New promises.
Psychologically though, nothing meaningful has changed.
You still have the same patterns of behaviour, the environment you operate in is unlikely to have changed, the pressures almost certainly haven’t. Crucially, without taking the time to establish why previous plans have failed and how change may be approached differently, the same blind spots remain.
Expecting radically different outcomes without changing those underlying conditions is like fitting performance tyres to a car that’s never been serviced. It might feel good briefly, but it won’t last.
Real change isn’t seasonal. It’s structural.
Why most resolutions fail
There are a few predictable reasons New Year’s resolutions collapse:
1. The goals are vague or unrealistic
‘Get healthier’ or ‘be more disciplined’ sounds good but gives your brain nothing definitive to act upon. When goals are too big or undefined, your nervous system treats them as threats rather than challenges.
2. People underestimate friction
Change always creates resistance and challenge - tired mornings, busy weeks, low mood, stress. Most resolutions fail because people don’t plan for these moments, they assume motivation will carry them through.
3. We ‘mis-identify’
If your self-image is still ‘someone who doesn’t stick to routines’ based on previous experiences, your behaviour will eventually snap back to match that identity.
4. Change is attempted alone
Isolation makes everything harder. Humans regulate and adapt behaviour socially. Trying to overhaul your life solo is playing on hard mode.
Behaviour change is a skill
None of this is about willpower; it’s about design. High performers understand this instinctively.
In elite sport and high-level business, no one relies on ‘trying harder’ as a strategy, they build systems, they reduce friction and they create accountability. They start with a clear idea of what they want to achieve and what the controllable behaviours are to provide a starting point, then begin the period of adjustment once they’ve got started.
Lifestyle change should be treated the same way.
Whether your ambition lies in improving how you train, how you recover, how you eat, how you manage stress, or how you look after your skin – goal setting simply provides a starting point for forming a pragmatic plan, a rule that applies irrelevant of the time of the year.
What actually works (at any time of year)
If January resolutions don’t work, what does?
1. Make the goal smaller than your ego wants
Sustainable change starts small. Why? because consistency is key. Adopting a small change and finding a way of sticking to it provides a platform or foundation to build from.
Instead of “I’ll train five times a week,” start with “I’ll move for 15 minutes, three times a week.” Instead of “I’ll overhaul my routine,” start with one non-negotiable habit you can keep even on bad days.
Momentum follows reliability.
2. Identify the predictable failure points in advance
Ask yourself honestly, based to prior experiences:
-
When am I most likely to quit?
-
What usually gets in the way?
-
What excuses do I use when things get busy?
Then design around those moments. This is where most people fail, they wait to react instead of preparing.
3. Track progress and adjust the plan
Establish how you’ll know if progress is being made, what are the markers for success?
Sustainable change requires feedback identify simple ways to check – is this actually working?
That might be consistency week to week, energy levels, quality of sleep, recovery time, or how your skin feels and responds over time. It doesn’t need to be complex, it just needs to be honest.
Just as important is the ability to adapt. If a plan doesn’t fit your real life, the problem isn’t discipline, it’s design. Reduce the scope. Simplify the routine. Adjust the timing. Keep what works and discard what doesn’t.
This removes the all-or-nothing trap that most resolutions fall into. You’re no longer failing or succeeding; you’re refining and learning.
4. Reduce friction and increase visibility
The easier something is to do, the more likely it happens. Building change into preexisting routines or making it easy to achieve increases the likelihood of success.
This could be laying out your training kit or having it on you rather than having to go home to change or keeping your skincare products visible and within easy reach for a morning routine. Remove unnecessary steps - high performance often comes from doing fewer things better, not adding more.
5. Don’t do it alone
Change sticks with support and prompts – use this to your advantage when attempting to achieve those early goals. Utilise training partners, adopt shared routines and have open conversations about how well you’re supporting each other through challenging periods.
After all, accountability isn’t about pressure, it’s about support. Progress accelerates when effort is shared.
The Bottom Line
New Year’s resolutions fail because they rely on hope instead of understanding.
If you want real change, stop waiting for the ‘right time’, there isn’t one. Start where you are. Make it smaller. Build support. Design for reality, not optimism.
Consistent high performers who improve year after year aren’t the ones who make the biggest promises in January. They’re the ones who understand how change actually works and act accordingly.
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn here.
Why New Year’s resolutions fail, and what actually works instead
By Chris Gooder | Performance Psychologist
New year, same old good intentions...
“This is the year I get in shape”
“This is the year I use my time more efficiently”
“This is the year I finally look after myself”
And by mid-February (if you’ve done well!), most of it has quietly disappeared.
The problem isn’t motivation. It isn’t discipline. And it certainly isn’t that you don’t want to change or just don’t care enough. The problem is that New Year’s resolutions are built on a misunderstanding of how behaviour change actually works.
Change is infrastructure and process-driven, both of which don’t get built through bursts of enthusiasm once a year.
The myth of the fresh start
January feels powerful because it looks like a clean slate. New calendar. New gym memberships. New promises.
Psychologically though, nothing meaningful has changed.
You still have the same patterns of behaviour, the environment you operate in is unlikely to have changed, the pressures almost certainly haven’t. Crucially, without taking the time to establish why previous plans have failed and how change may be approached differently, the same blind spots remain.
Expecting radically different outcomes without changing those underlying conditions is like fitting performance tyres to a car that’s never been serviced. It might feel good briefly, but it won’t last.
Real change isn’t seasonal. It’s structural.
Why most resolutions fail
There are a few predictable reasons New Year’s resolutions collapse:
1. The goals are vague or unrealistic
‘Get healthier’ or ‘be more disciplined’ sounds good but gives your brain nothing definitive to act upon. When goals are too big or undefined, your nervous system treats them as threats rather than challenges.
2. People underestimate friction
Change always creates resistance and challenge - tired mornings, busy weeks, low mood, stress. Most resolutions fail because people don’t plan for these moments, they assume motivation will carry them through.
3. We ‘mis-identify’
If your self-image is still ‘someone who doesn’t stick to routines’ based on previous experiences, your behaviour will eventually snap back to match that identity.
4. Change is attempted alone
Isolation makes everything harder. Humans regulate and adapt behaviour socially. Trying to overhaul your life solo is playing on hard mode.
Behaviour change is a skill
None of this is about willpower; it’s about design. High performers understand this instinctively.
In elite sport and high-level business, no one relies on ‘trying harder’ as a strategy, they build systems, they reduce friction and they create accountability. They start with a clear idea of what they want to achieve and what the controllable behaviours are to provide a starting point, then begin the period of adjustment once they’ve got started.
Lifestyle change should be treated the same way.
Whether your ambition lies in improving how you train, how you recover, how you eat, how you manage stress, or how you look after your skin – goal setting simply provides a starting point for forming a pragmatic plan, a rule that applies irrelevant of the time of the year.
What actually works (at any time of year)
If January resolutions don’t work, what does?
1. Make the goal smaller than your ego wants
Sustainable change starts small. Why? because consistency is key. Adopting a small change and finding a way of sticking to it provides a platform or foundation to build from.
Instead of “I’ll train five times a week,” start with “I’ll move for 15 minutes, three times a week.” Instead of “I’ll overhaul my routine,” start with one non-negotiable habit you can keep even on bad days.
Momentum follows reliability.
2. Identify the predictable failure points in advance
Ask yourself honestly, based to prior experiences:
When am I most likely to quit?
What usually gets in the way?
What excuses do I use when things get busy?
Then design around those moments. This is where most people fail, they wait to react instead of preparing.
3. Track progress and adjust the plan
Establish how you’ll know if progress is being made, what are the markers for success?
Sustainable change requires feedback identify simple ways to check – is this actually working?
That might be consistency week to week, energy levels, quality of sleep, recovery time, or how your skin feels and responds over time. It doesn’t need to be complex, it just needs to be honest.
Just as important is the ability to adapt. If a plan doesn’t fit your real life, the problem isn’t discipline, it’s design. Reduce the scope. Simplify the routine. Adjust the timing. Keep what works and discard what doesn’t.
This removes the all-or-nothing trap that most resolutions fall into. You’re no longer failing or succeeding; you’re refining and learning.
4. Reduce friction and increase visibility
The easier something is to do, the more likely it happens. Building change into preexisting routines or making it easy to achieve increases the likelihood of success.
This could be laying out your training kit or having it on you rather than having to go home to change or keeping your skincare products visible and within easy reach for a morning routine. Remove unnecessary steps - high performance often comes from doing fewer things better, not adding more.
5. Don’t do it alone
Change sticks with support and prompts – use this to your advantage when attempting to achieve those early goals. Utilise training partners, adopt shared routines and have open conversations about how well you’re supporting each other through challenging periods.
After all, accountability isn’t about pressure, it’s about support. Progress accelerates when effort is shared.
The Bottom Line
New Year’s resolutions fail because they rely on hope instead of understanding.
If you want real change, stop waiting for the ‘right time’, there isn’t one. Start where you are. Make it smaller. Build support. Design for reality, not optimism.
Consistent high performers who improve year after year aren’t the ones who make the biggest promises in January. They’re the ones who understand how change actually works and act accordingly.
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn here.