Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail (And How to Make Yours Stick in 2026)
The New Year is officially upon us, and that means everyone is setting their yearly goals and resolutions. However, research shows that only about 20% of people are still working toward their goals by February. Why is that?
If you’ve ever felt motivated on January 1st only to feel discouraged a few weeks later, you’re not alone. Most people don’t fail because they don’t want change. They fail because of how they set their goals in the first place.
Let’s break down the most common reasons New Year’s resolutions fail, and what to do differently if you want this year to actually be different.
1. Trying to Do Too Much at Once
The first reason people struggle with New Year’s resolutions is that they tend to be overly ambitious.
For example, they want to:
- Start working out every day
- Stop smoking
- Eat more vegetables
- Declutter the house
- Learn a new language
…and they try to start all of it during the first week of January.
Not only is that a recipe for disaster, but even superhuman people wouldn’t be able to keep track of all that either. It’s completely fine to have several goals you want to accomplish throughout the year, but you shouldn’t try to work on all of them at once.
A much more realistic approach is to pick one main goal to focus on per quarter. You can still have other goals in mind, but your energy and attention go toward one primary focus at a time.
2. Not Planning for Obstacles or Motivation Slumps
The second reason people fail to complete their New Year’s goals is that they don’t have a plan in place for what to do when something goes wrong, or when motivation inevitably fades.
Something will always come up at least a few times during the year that interferes with your goals. That’s life. The difference between people who keep going and people who quit is whether they planned for those moments.
For example, if you plan to go to the gym every day but you or your child gets sick, and you can’t go, do you have a backup plan?
Just to clarify, I’m not suggesting that you work out when you’re sick. You should rest. I’m just using this as an example of how rigid goals can cause people to give up entirely. The whole “all or nothing” approach.
This is also why I don’t recommend goals that require doing something every single day for a full year, like going to the gym daily. There will be days when it’s not possible.
Instead, aim for something like 5 or 6 days a week. You can always go more often if you want, but if your goal is “every day,” missing even one day can make it feel like you’ve failed, which often leads to quitting altogether.
3. Setting Goals That Aren’t Specific or Measurable
Another reason people struggle with goal setting is that their goals are too vague.
For instance, if you want to learn a new language, your goal can’t just be “learn Spanish” or “learn French.” That’s not specific enough, and there’s no clear way to measure progress.
If you learned one word in a new language, would that count as success? Probably not.
Instead, your goal should look something like:
“I will practice Rosetta Stone (Spanish, French, German, etc.) for at least 20 minutes, 5 times a week.”
This is clear, measurable, and realistic. You know exactly what you’re committing to, which makes it much easier to follow through.
4. Setting Too Many Goals at the Same Time
This ties closely to the first reason, but it’s important enough to stand on its own.
I recommend setting four main goals for the year — one for each quarter. That way, you’re only focusing on one primary goal at a time instead of spreading yourself too thin.
Once you’ve chosen your four goals, break each one down:
- First into monthly tasks
- Then into weekly tasks
- And finally into small, manageable daily tasks
Your daily or weekly tasks should be “no-brainer” tasks, which are things that can realistically be done in about 30 minutes or less. This helps prevent procrastination and avoidance, because the task doesn’t feel overwhelming before you even start.
5. The All-or-Nothing Mindset (A Personal Reality Check)
As I briefly mentioned above, the “all-or-nothing” mondset is sure to lead to failure. This is one I personally struggle with, so let’s be real for a moment.
It’s already mid-January, and I’m behind on my goal to post a blog post once every two weeks to coincide with my biweekly newsletters. I originally wanted to make my newsletters weekly, but clearly, that’s not happening right now.
I was also behind on my Instagram posting goals. My goal was to post 2–3 times per week, and I had only posted once in January. But I recently joined a 30 Day video posting challenge and have been consistent for seven days straight. That’s probably the longest that I’ve been consistent on Instagram in years. It really does help and keeps you accountable when you’re doing something with others. Whether you’re doing it virtually “with them” or in-person with them, the accountability is still there.
I’m still working on my January freebie too, which should have been out before January… but it wasn’t.
On the positive side, though, I have stayed consistent with going to the gym 6 days a week (at least for two full week so far, taking Sundays off, which is more than I’ve worked out consistently in years). I joined a gym, which makes it easier if I want to go at a different time than my fiancé John or his sister Amy.
I didn’t go today (Sunday), but that was intentional. I needed to get housework done, and I also want at least one day off to rest my legs — and that’s okay.
Progress Is Still Progress (Even When It’s Imperfect)
I’ve also been relatively consistent with writing 750 words a day for about two weeks. I only missed one day, but made up for it the next day by writing double the amount.
Sometimes I would have to do it on my phone, which I didn’t like doing, but I wanted to keep my streak going. But honestly, there have been nights when I was tired and still needed to hit my word count, and using my phone was the only reason I got it done at all.
I’ve also already finished reading one book this month and I’m about one-third to halfway through another. One of my goals is to read a book a month. So no, I’m not failing all of my goals. Mostly just some of the business-related ones 🤦🏻♀️.
Why Accountability Makes Such a Big Difference
One thing I’ve noticed that has really helped me stay consistent with going to the gym is having someone to go with.
I think that’s also why I didn’t go today, because both John (my fiancee) and Amy (John’s sister) were working. But throughout the week, we help each other stay consistent. For example, on Friday Amy told me she really wasn’t in the mood to go to the gym that day, but because I was going, she ended up going too.
That kind of accountability makes a huge difference.
Your accountability partner doesn’t have to be in person, either. It can be virtual. And if you need one, feel free to message me on Instagram (@athomewithmackenzie). I’d be happy to help keep you accountable.
Why Focusing on Progress Beats Focusing on Outcomes
For a long time, I thought Quitters’ Day was later in the month, but it’s actually the second Friday of January. This date is when research shows most people give up on their resolutions. There is also January 17th which is referred to as “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day.”
I don’t want anyone ditching their goals.
A lot of people quit because they’re so focused on the outcome rather than the process.
For example, one of my goals is to do at least 20 minutes on the stair master, 6 times a week. I want to lose about 35 pounds before my wedding in November, but I didn’t make that my actual goal.
I know myself well enough to know that if I focused on the number on the scale, I’d become discouraged the moment it fluctuated, even though I know that is completely normal. Weight goes up and down for many reasons, mostly due to water weight changes.
So instead, I focused on the habit I can control: showing up consistently.
Once my clothes start fitting differently, I’ll check the scale, but no matter what number I see, I’ll remind myself that I am making progress.
Why Motivation Isn’t Enough (And What Works Instead)
The same idea applies when I’m writing my 750 words a day. I use the website 750words.com. This website has built in ways to help keep you going, such as the confetti that falls down the screen whenever you reach the 750 words, badges, and green check boxes at the top to show your progress. I even take a screenshot of the confetti every time — call me a dork, I don’t care.
But if I miss a day, I don’t quit. I just start over.
That’s the key takeaway here: motivation will always fail at some point. You need systems, routines, and accountability to keep going when motivation disappears.
Do I want to work out almost every day? Absolutely not.
But routines, accountability, and structure make it easier to stay consistent.
You Can Always Start Again
Another important thing to remember when working toward any goal, whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or not, is that you don’t need to give up just because you had a bad day or even a bad week.
You can always start fresh again.
You don’t have to wait for another New Year.
And if you’ve been setting the same resolution year after year and still haven’t completed it, it might be time to put it on the back burner, or let it go altogether. If it truly mattered to you right now, your actions would reflect that.
Set Goals You Actually Want — Not Ones You “Should” Want
Before you set your goals, take a moment to think about what you really want for the year.
Not what you think you should want.
Not what someone else says you should want.
What you actually want to achieve.
Don’t set too many goals, and don’t set goals that are too big or overwhelming. For example, if your home feels completely disorganized, a goal like “organize and declutter the entire house” is probably too much.
Instead, start smaller, like organizing and decluttering the kitchen. Once you accomplish that, you can always add another goal.
Always Celebrate Your Accomplishments
Whether your wins are big or small — celebrate them.
Progress is progress. Showing up counts. And every step forward deserves recognition!
