Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

“This is the year I finally change.” “This year is my year.” “This year will be the best year yet”. There are no greater emotional highs than that of the “New Year New Me”, motivation. The New Year will have you feeling like you can conquer the world, slay the dragon, and be the best version of you to ever walk this Earth.

The motivation feels real. You are ready to do the work. You are ready to hit the gym, read more, improve your relationship, make more money, and so on. You take on so many new routines and habits, and it feels good. By mid January you feel like you are making tremendous gains. You feel great, look great, and life seems to be looking up. Then life happens, those routines get harder to keep up with, and by the middle of February you are back to where and who you were on January 1. Instead of this year being the best year ever, it is now destined to be just like every other year of your life. Instead of getting back on track, you just punt on the year, until New Year’s comes back around.

If New Year’s resolutions haven’t worked for you, it’s not because you lack discipline or drive. Nor is it because you are someone who can never change. New Year’s resolutions fail because you try to do too much too quickly. Look at it like this. The New Year is a marathon and you are very motivated to get a great time. Unfortunately, this high motivation causes you to go all out and sprint the first half mile, thus draining your energy and making it impossible to run the last 25+ miles.

For growth to occur, it needs to be slow and gradual. Growth is choosing fewer habits and doing them well. And in doing so, it creates a positive domino/snowball effect in your life. Those few changes you make, those few areas of growth you focus on, have a positive impact many other areas of your life. Growth is trying to be 0.1% better every day, not 10% better every day.