Why 80% of All New Year's Resolutions Fails Before January Ends

I'm very sure a lot of people have already made their New Year's resolutions, but if you haven't, let's pause for a second and talk about New Year's resolutions and why people find it so difficult to keep them.

Every year, the first week of January is usually accompanied by people (everyone) making New Year's resolutions or writing down their goals for the year. But unfortunately, only a small fraction of that population ends up sticking with their New Year’s resolutions to the end of the year.

Why? Many say it's due to a lack of discipline, determination, and will to see things through. Most especially during difficult moments.

What Studies Say

According to studies and reports:

• Only about 8–10% of people actually end up keeping their New Year's resolutions or achieving their goals for the year. That means less than 1 out of 10 people keep their New Year's resolutions.
• A study from the University of Bristol also found that only 20% of people succeed in keeping their resolutions by the sixth month of the year. The remaining 80% fail even though more than half were confident and determined to stick to them.
• More than 70% of all New Year's resolutions fail within the first few weeks of the year. This is because most of them had no real plan or direction.
• 10% forget their New Year’s resolutions by the second week of January.

Since more than half of the population finds it difficult to stick with their New Year’s resolutions by the sixth month, I think it’s safe to say, making New Year’s resolutions without having a plan to back them up is a complete waste of time.

Why New Year's Resolutions Don’t Last

There are a lot of reasons why a lot of people struggle to keep their New Year's resolutions, but here are some of the most popular ones.

• Following the crowd

I don't know why, but a lot of people tend to make New Year's resolutions not because they want to change or achieve something for themselves, but because they saw their friends, family, and society doing it. Since they're doing it because others are, they don't take it seriously, making it difficult to stick to them.

• Relying on motivation alone

A lot of people get hyped up and motivated on January 1st. That hype and motivation lead them to make resolutions, but as we all know, motivation never lasts, and when the hype and motivation are gone, a lot of people burn out quickly, as they don’t have the discipline to continue.

• Setting unrealistic targets

One of the reasons why a lot of people find it difficult to stick to their New Year's resolutions is that most of them like to set unrealistic goals for themselves.

For instance, why make a New Year's resolution to lose 70 pounds by April when you’re new to the gym or just starting a fitness journey? That's not optimistic, but rather a setup for failure.

• Identity attachment

Many people make New Year's resolutions not because they want to change but because of external factors. This makes New Year's resolutions feel like a judgment rather than a personal decision.

When we make New Year's resolutions based on the above reasons, it becomes very difficult to stick to them. Unfortunately, most of us are culprits of them.

What Should We Do Instead? The Solution.

Instead of making New Year's resolutions that we won’t be able to keep because of how vague, unrealistic, and pressure-filled, here are a few things we can do to fix that problem.

• Be intentional with change

If your goal is to change this year, do it because you want to and not because it's the new year. When you’re intentional about your goals, they become achievable and easier to stick to.

• Start small (realistic goals)

Don’t just set goals for yourselves; make them achievable, and to do that, you'll have to start small.

For instance, instead of saying, “I’m going to read 50 books this year,” you should say, “I will read 5 pages every night for 2 months.” As you progress, you make changes and improvements to your goals.

This tiny shift will make your goal much more achievable and realistic.

• Make use of systems

If your goal is to lose weight this year, having a system will help you achieve that.

For instance, do you want to lose weight? Set a system that says, “Walk 30 minutes every day and not more than 2 burgers every week.

This system will allow you to track your weight and food intake. It will take your mind off the end goal and make you focus on what you do every day

• Chase progress, not results

For whatever goal you plan to achieve this year, understand it will take time, effort, and consistency. So, don’t chase results; chase progress. This will make that goal a lot more achievable and realistic.

• Don’t rely on dates to change

Waiting for a date on the calendar before you decide to change won’t make you more committed and determined. It also won't make that goal achievable. If anything, it will only put pressure on you.

A lot of people struggle to keep their New Year’s resolutions because they treat them like temporary challenges, when they should be treated like lifelong habits.

Final Thoughts

So, if you want 2026 to be a great year for you, don’t aim for a “new you.” You should aim for a consistent and intentional version of yourself. Apart from that, don't make new year resolutions Just because others are doing it. Do it because you want to change or improve.