New Year’s Resolutions: Evidence-Based Strategies For Success

Medically reviewed by Dr. April Brewer, DBH, LPC

Updated January 21st, 2026 by BetterHelp Editorial Team

The start of a new year can be full of hope and promise. For most, making resolutions serve as a new beginning, and a reminder of an individual’s capacity for personal growth and positive change, as they set personal goals for the coming year. However, many common new year's resolutions consist of challenging goals that are notoriously difficult to meet. For this reason, most New Year's resolutions fail within the first week or months of the year.

While statistics on making New Year’s resolutions might seem discouraging, research into goal setting and motivation may provide insights about what works when keeping promises to yourself. Investigating key statistics on New Year’s resolutions may be helpful, as well as identifying trends and exploring what science says about maintaining long-term momentum.

Key New Year's resolutions statistics

New Year’s resolutions were initially practiced by the ancient Romans as part of their celebration of the upcoming year. This celebration was both joyful and solemn, as they believed that their actions on this first day of the new year would lead to a sense of the new year moving forward. That his first step would amplify their intentions throughout their life in the new year. The echoes of this belief manifest in modern times as we continue to celebrate the new year with resolutions.

In 2022, a YouGov poll exploring new year's resolutions statistics found that more than a third of Americans (37%) reported having a goal in mind for 2023. Popular resolutions included weight loss, getting more exercise, and the desire to eat healthier. Similar polls showed that financial health was another goal for some resolutioners, with pledges to save more money, pay down debts, or get a new job. Whether you aim to lose weight, drink less alcohol, or participate in Quitter’s Day, where people quit smoking and other substances, you’re not alone in these goals.

If you’ve ever noticed more people with a gym membership in January, you might have guessed that it is a result of the widespread desire for better health—one 2016 study of New Year’s resolutions found that on average, more than half (55%) are health-related.

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You may also have noticed your gym emptied somewhat by spring, which aligns with findings that many struggle to maintain their new year's change attempts long-term. One study found that 77% of resolutioners kept their pledge for one week, but only 19% had maintained their goal at the two-year mark. That same study identified stimulus control, reinforcement, and willpower as the key differentiators between the successful and unsuccessful groups. This statistic may be helpful when considering how to keep your fresh start in motivation in the upcoming year.

One paper that reviewed the research on the topic suggests that it may not be as simple as having your new year’s resolutions “fail” or “succeed”. Between 20% and 40% of the participants across the two studies had achieved their goal by the end of the year, with 32% to 60% still working on it. 15% to 21% had put their goal on hold, and only a fraction (0% to 3%) had “deliberately disengaged”.

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Common new year’s resolutions and why they fail

Common New Year’s resolutions include a wide range of positive, “good” behaviors that promote personal growth, including things like:

Stop smoking or drinking
Save money
Practice stress management
Create a daily routine

The challenge for most is that while intentions are good, many lack a clear plan for how they are going to achieve these goals, and tough times, family commitments, or other barriers occur, the new behaviors are abandoned.

Regarding achieving new goals, attitude, and approach can be paramount. A 2020 study of more than 1,000 participants found that those with approach-oriented goals (e.g. “run a 5k race”) were more likely to succeed than those with avoidance-oriented goals (e.g., “don’t eat junk food”). Goals that focus on a positive outcome often offer more intrinsic motivation than those that focus on avoiding a negative outcome.

However, no matter how clear and specific you are about what you want to achieve, it may not be possible to predict the future, and putting too much pressure on yourself to succeed can take a toll. One longitudinal examination study found that “[specific goal] flexibility was associated with higher levels of mental well-being” and didn’t have a measurable effect on success rate, positive or negative.

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Evidence-based strategies for accomplishing your New Year’s resolutions

Goal-setting, time management, and motivation have long been an area of interest in psychology, and a substantial body of research has looked at what is helpful and what isn’t when considering why people fail or succeed. As you dive into your New Year’s resolutions, try to keep these evidence-based best practices in mind.

Setting intentional and achievable goals using the SMART goals framework

When it comes to creating personal goals, true commitment comes from ensuring that your goals are valuable to you, and that they reflect your own core values. It isn’t as likely that you’ll expend energy on positive changes that you aren’t truly invested in, or that you chose because it seemed like something you should want to do.

If you’re committed to working toward a goal in the new year, it might be helpful to make the first step by writing down your goals according to the SMART framework:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound

SMART goals can help you understand your goal, how to approach new habits, and how to measure success.

For example, pledging to “get in shape” might be a vague and slippery goal if you want to get healthier. To make it happen, you need strong intentions and a clear plan for success.A SMART goal might be: “Attend three fitness classes per week for six months.” This goal allows you to imagine scheduling and attending classes—and crossing them off your to-do list three times a week.

Make a plan

Once you’ve established your goals for your physical and mental health, start planning for how you may work towards making them a part of your daily routine. Aim to break down significant goals into smaller, actionable tasks. For example, if you want to adopt a healthier diet, you might decide to block off time each weekend to plan your menu, go shopping, and prepare meals. If you want to start practicing mindfulness, doing something simple like starting a gratitude journal can help you keep moving forward.

As you plan, think about how you will stick to your goal. Do you need a backup plan? What about a system for tracking progress? Do you have a friend or loved one you can rely on for mutual support? What can you do to celebrate when you reach a major milestone?Try to anticipate obstacles and plan what to do if you encounter a setback or loss of motivation.

Manage time wisely

Time management can play a critical role in the success of your New Year’s Resolution. As goals often hinge on adopting and sticking with new habits, effective time management is often essential for continued success. Time-blocking, for example, might allow you to visualize how your new habit might fit into your day.

As you implement time management techniques, try to remain flexible and realistic about how much you can accomplish on any given day—putting too much pressure on yourself can sometimes lead to burnout.

Track your New Year's resolutions progress

Monitoring progress may be crucial for staying motivated and on track. Check in regularly using a journal, app, or progress chart to help you visualize your hard work. To keep this step fun and interesting, you might consider “gamifying” your progress with friendly competition or implementing a reward system for achieving significant milestones. Aim to keep streaks of positive habits, and don’t hesitate to jump back in if you let your habits lapse for longer than anticipated.

Aim for progress, not perfection

As James Clear says in the best-selling self-improvement book Atomic Habits, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” In other words, small “investments” made in pursuit of your goal pay off in increasingly positive ways over time. So rather than trying to live up to an ideal, aim for smaller chunks of improvement in order to find your resolution solution.

For example, if your plan to eat only home-cooked meals falls through and you find yourself in a restaurant with friends, try to avoid negative thoughts about failure. Instead, opt to make a more mindful choice about what to order. This way, you can feel proud about stepping toward your goals—even if everything didn’t go according to plan.

Cultivate mindfulness if motivation diminishes

While motivation can be vital in staying aligned with your goals, it can fluctuate. Contrarily, mindfulness can be reached more readily and may offer a more stable foundation for keeping up with your New Year’s Resolution. Research has found that mindfulness and goal achievement may be closely linked. So, while you may not want to go for a morning walk like you promised yourself in January, you can use mindfulness to accept your discomfort and still behave in a way that aligns with your goal.

Find a buddy

An accountability partner may make a positive difference in sticking with your New Year’s resolution. While it might be fun to tell others about your goal, research suggests it may be more beneficial to take it a step further and check in periodically with someone. Choose someone you can rely on, such as a friend, partner, or therapist. Having someone walking alongside you on your journey can boost your motivation—and keep you accountable.

Skip this year’s resolution

For those feeling discouraged by statistics or past experience, it may be best to forego a new year’s resolution altogether for the coming year. Both older and younger adults are ditching the tradition of new year’s resolutions in favor of less stringent goal-setting strategies that can be implemented at more individually suited times. Additionally, you may consider less “popular” resolutions that contribute to enrichment rather than improvement such as reading more, learning an instrument, trying something new, or spending more time with friends. The first step toward positive change in your life can come from the sense of peace that comes from adjusting your intentions in a way that is more realistic.

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Hold yourself accountable with therapy

A therapist may help you set goals and plan for achieving them while simultaneously being a source of accountability and encouragement. Therapists can also help you identify underlying issues that might be interfering with your progress—negative thought patterns, mental illness, and self-esteem issues, for example, can complicate the self-improvement process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one standard therapeutic modality that may help you manage these challenges.

If you face barriers to in-person therapy, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be beneficial in working toward goal attainment. With tools like interactive journaling, daily messaging with your therapist, and optional group sessions, online platforms can serve as a springboard for success as you work towards your New Year’s resolutions. Additionally, online treatment tends to be more affordable than traditional face-to-face therapy and has been found equally effective by several studies.

Examples of meaningful resolutions you can try

If you are interested in setting a New Year’s resolution, but find that you are stuck for ideas, here are some self-growth resolutions that you may be interested in pursuing. Again, only commit to one if it speaks to you personally.

Take up a new hobby like creative writing, embroidery, or hiking
Commit to trying new foods throughout the year
Set a specific reading goal, for example instead of “I will read more books”, say “I will read a new book every month”,
Make new friends through specific actions like joining a local club
Set boundaries with a family member
Schedule a road trip that interests you, but be specific. For example, “I will drive through Pennsylvania Amish country during farming season

Building healthier habits as a family or community

You can also decide to shake up the whole resolution challenge by shifting your focus. Rather than committing to positive change for yourself, you can decide to celebrate by building healthier habits with your family members, or a friend group. Decide that your friend group will welcome new friends in the coming year. Or that as a family you will keep a gratitude journal to celebrate the good things in your life. A “good” behavior may be more sustainable when you work on it with the people you love.

Takeaway

While “new year, new you” may be a common refrain around the New Year’s holiday, self-improvement is not achieved by making resolutions, but often depends more on consistency, habit formation, and positive feedback loops. Clear and personal goals, reliable plans, and effective time management may propel you toward your goals, as can mindfulness and flexibility. It might also be helpful to enlist the help of an accountability partner or therapist. Consider connecting with a therapist online or in your area for further support and guidance, as a first step in a commitment to positive change that lasts for life.

Frequently asked questions

Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about this topic.

What are the best New Year’s resolutions for personal growth and wellbeing?

The most effective New Year's resolutions for personal growth and wellbeing will likely vary across individuals. One resolution may be relevant or helpful for one person, but not another. When setting your resolutions, think about the small, consistent changes you can make to benefit you mentally, physically, socially, and productively. For example:

Build a mindfulness practice
Improve physical fitness through movement you enjoy
Nurture your personal relationships
Read more
Reduce your screen time
Take a class or workshop to learn new skills
Speak to a mental health professional on your journey to stay focused, accountable, and self-compassionate

What's the most popular New Year's resolution each year?

According to a Statista survey, America’s top New Year’s resolutions for 2026 include:

Exercise more
Save more money
Eat healthier
Spend more time with family and friends
Lose weight
Improve job performance
Do more for the environment
Reduce job stress

What are the most commonly broken New Year's resolutions?

The most commonly broken New Year's resolutions are those that may be harder to break down into SMART goals and aren’t aligned with your “why.” Health and fitness resolutions, such as losing weight or exercising more, may be harder to sustain. Some struggle with financial resolutions, such as saving money or reducing debt, which can be challenging. Breaking bad habits like smoking or overindulging in alcohol can be difficult for some people, too.

What are some healthy New Year's resolutions to improve mental and physical health?

Healthy New Year's resolutions for mind and body often focus on physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and social connection. Common examples include:

Engaging in daily physical activity
Eating more whole foods and vegetables
Prioritizing 7-9 hours of sleep a night
Practicing mindfulness/gratitude
Limiting screens
Nurturing social bonds

What are evidence-based strategies to achieve New Year’s resolutions?

Researchers have studied how motivation shapes human behavior for centuries, including why we’re motivated to do some things rather than others and how to change motivation to cultivate better habits. Some evidence-based strategies that may help change your motivation and achieve your New Year’s resolutions include:

Set intentional, structured, and achievable goals.

SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) can be an effective tool for achieving goals and cultivating better habits, as they require assigning concrete action steps. For example, if you’d like to exercise more, instead of simply saying “I’ll go for more walks,” you might say, “I’ll go for a 30-minute walk three days a week for three months.” Specifics help you schedule the activity on your calendar and track your progress toward the goal.

Look for progress over perfection.

There are likely to be days in which you have a harder time keeping up with your resolutions than others. In such cases, give yourself some “wiggle room” by aiming smaller on those days. For example, if it’s a “walk day” but your motivation is low, put on your walking shoes and walk to the mailbox to check the mail. Stand outside for a minute and re-evaluate how you feel. If you still want to turn around and sit on the sofa for the rest of the day, congratulate yourself on getting out for a few minutes.

Pay attention to your feelings.

On days when you struggle to stay motivated, take a few moments to check in with your thoughts and feelings. Consider writing them down in a journal or a letter to yourself, provided it allows you to explore your thoughts and feelings in the moment and how they may relate to your stalled motivation. Once you pinpoint what’s happening, mindfulness can help you accept and move forward in a way that aligns with your goal.

Find an accountability partner.

Let someone you trust and can rely on know about your plan and ask them to help you stay motivated. You might schedule a weekly check-in to discuss your progress and any obstacles you've encountered. This type of support can encourage and help you stay motivated through accountability.

Be kind to yourself.

Give yourself some grace on those days when you don’t stick to your plan. You might notice negative self-talk or criticism, such as “I’m so lazy,” or “This is never going to work.” Reframe those thoughts and approach them as you would when speaking with a good friend. Chances are, you’d tell your friend they aren’t being lazy, it’s just hard to stay motivated sometimes, and encourage them to try again. Offer yourself the same kindness.

Why do so many New Year’s resolutions fail, and how can you avoid common pitfalls?

There are many potential reasons why New Year’s resolutions sometimes fail. Unclear goals, the absence of a concrete plan, and insufficient accountability are among the issues. Sometimes, resolutions don’t work out because they’re attached to unreasonable expectations or perfectionist thinking that lead to burnout and abandonment when setbacks happen.

To avoid pitfalls, set SMART goals and focus on small, manageable habits rather than attempting to tackle large goals simultaneously. You may also incorporate flexibility for potential setbacks and identify an accountability partner. Finally, keep the focus on your "why"—the core motivation—to drive genuine, lasting change.

What are realistic goals to set for the New Year?

“Realistic” is relative; different people may have different ideas about what goals are “do-able” and what aren’t. Overall, the most realistic goals can be broken down into actionable steps using the SMART framework, making them specific and reasonable.

How can you stay motivated to keep New Year’s resolutions throughout January and beyond?

To sustain motivation for New Year's resolutions beyond January, make them SMART and break them into smaller steps. Track your progress clearly and reward yourself with every accomplishment. Find an accountability partner, give yourself space for slip-ups, and remind yourself of your “why” when things get challenging by journaling and visualizing success, making the habit fun and integrated into your life, not just a January sprint.

What are examples of simple New Year’s resolutions for better mental health?

New Year’s resolutions that promote mental health often involve caring for your physical health, too. For example, prioritize sleep, gentle movement, and nutritious eating to nourish the body. Consider a resolution to limit screen time and set healthy boundaries in your relationships. Many find it beneficial to establish a gratitude or mindfulness practice through meditation or spending time in nature.

How do you create a New Year’s resolution that is actually achievable?

To create achievable New Year's resolutions, use the SMART framework, break big goals into smaller daily habits, and focus on the process rather than just the outcome. Find accountability partners and review and adjust your plan regularly. As you accomplish your goals, celebrate your “wins” along the way, no matter how small.

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