Those shiny new goals for the new year always feel amazing January 1st. But by week 3… Here are 6 common resolution roadblocks and how to succeed in 2025.
It's that familiar January feeling — you’re filled with a fiery sense of determination and purpose, ready to achieve your new year’s resolutions with a fresh new planner and certainty this time will be different. And yet, the research isn’t as hopeful. Data shows that by the second Friday of January (dubbed "Quitters Day"), many of us start to feel that initial motivation wavering.
In fact, according to a study by the Fisher College of Business, only about 9% of resolution makers feel they’ve fully succeeded with their New Year resolution ideas by year's end. By the end of January, nearly half (47%) of all resolution-makers will have discontinued their goals.1
But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make good New Year’s Resolutions! It just means that if you want to succeed, you need to plan for the common roadblocks that often come up along the way. That way, you can make change that really lasts.
Today, we'll explore:
➤ Why traditional resolution-setting often backfires
➤ How to set goals that genuinely align with your values
➤ Science-backed strategies for tracking progress
➤ Practical tips for turning goals into lasting habits
➤ Ways to maintain momentum well past February
#1 You're Setting the Wrong Goals
Before you do anything else for your New Year’s Resolutions 2025 — make sure you’re not setting the wrong goals! Here’s what we mean by “wrong goals” → Goals that are based on insecurities, fears, and external pressure. These goals often are not deeply rooted in what we really want for ourselves, and are stressful to maintain.
Instead, goal setting is most successful when you start with goals that are actually meaningful to you and your quality of life. In other words, try to focus on resolutions that would genuinely enhance your days.
Pro Tip: Before writing down your 2025 goals, take time to reflect:
➤ What changes would make your daily life noticeably better?
➤ Which good habits bring you genuine energy and joy?
➤ What would "success" actually feel like in your life?
➤ Do you feel any external pressure with this goal?
Only prioritize big goals that will lead to more wellbeing, happiness, and prosperity in your life, and leave behind the others you don’t feel as passionate about.
#2 You're Focusing 100% on the Destination, 0% on the Journey
It's easy to get fixated on end goals. While a clear vision is essential, research shows that breaking big-picture goals into smaller, achievable actions leads to significantly higher success rates.
Let's transform some common resolutions into trackable daily steps:
➤ Resolution: "Get better sleep"
- Track your sleep quality and daily habits
- Dedicate 15+ minutes before bed to relaxing activities
- Shift bedtime 15 minutes earlier
- Dim the lights 1 hour before bedtime
- Make a bedtime routine that reduces stress and calms the mind
➤ Resolution: "Be more active"
- Start noticing your daily steps and fitness routines
- Increase your current step count by 1000 steps (10-15 min.)
- Do 20 minutes of strength training exercises two times a week
- Attend one group fitness class each week
Pro Tip: Create what experts call "implementation intentions" — specific when-then plans for your goals. For example: "When I finish dinner, I'll take a 10-minute walk to clear my mind." 2
#3 Plan for Good Days (and Not-So-Good Days)
Let's be honest: some days you're ready to conquer the world, while others... well, getting out of bed feels like an achievement. This natural energy fluctuation is exactly why rigid resolutions often fail.
The secret? Create a flexible "backup menu" for your goals. Think of it like having different gears for different days:
➤ High-Energy Days
- Tackle challenging workouts
- Meal prep for the week
- Try new healthy recipes
- Take on bigger projects
- Spend more time with loved ones
➤ Medium-Energy Days
- Take a 20-minute walk
- Do gentle stretching
- Handle routine tasks
- Choose simple, healthy meals
- Reserve 10 minutes of quality time for loved ones
➤ Lower-Energy Days
- Do 5 minutes of mindful movement
- Focus on good rest and hydration
- Take slow, mindful walks
- Maintain basic self-care
- Give yourself a break from socializing as needed
Pro Tip: Start tracking your energy patterns throughout the week. You might discover that Mondays need gentler goals, while mid-week is perfect for more challenging targets. This awareness sets you up for success by helping you plan better and stay consistent, no matter what kind of day you're having.
#4 Stay Focused on the Big Picture (and Give Yourself Grace!)
Nothing's more discouraging than making progress and falling off track for a few days. It can feel like you've thrown away all your hard work and are "starting over." But this all-or-nothing, “fresh start” thinking is often what derails us completely.
Missing a day doesn't erase your progress, though our minds often trick us into thinking it does. Research shows we tend to fixate on perceived failures while overlooking our daily wins – it's just how our survival-oriented brains are wired.
Remember:
➤ Consistency beats perfection every time
➤ Small steps forward still count as progress
➤ Every day is a chance to realign with your goals
Pro Tip: Track your efforts over weeks rather than days. This broader view helps you spot overall improvement trends and keeps you motivated even when individual days don't go as planned. This can help you build momentum in the long run.
The goal is to zoom out and examine your overall trajectory. Think of it as viewing your journey from a satellite instead of a street view. A few missed days become tiny blips in a larger pattern of progress.
#5 You're Focusing on Avoidance Instead of Action
Take a look through your resolutions. Do any start with the words, “stop" or "quit"? While these goals come from good intentions, framing them in a negative light can actually make them harder to achieve.
This is because our brains are hardwired to seek out positive experiences and avoid uncomfortable ones, largely through our reward center. This reward system (fueled by dopamine) is incredibly powerful and often trumps willpower in the long run. Especially since willpower is not an endless resource.
Instead of fighting against your brain's natural reward-seeking tendencies, work with them by:
➤ Identifying the reward you're seeking
- What feeling are you after, underneath that old habit?
- What need is this habit trying to meet?
- Could other experiences provide the same reward?
➤ Creating positive replacement habits
- Instead of "quit social media," → "Reach out to a loved one once a day."
- Rather than "stop stress eating," → "Find 5 healthy snacks to munch on."
- Beyond "avoid overspending" → "Put the $6 I didn’t spend on coffee every day into savings"
Want to finally get the upperhand on your habits? Learn More About Breaking Bad Habits.
#6 Plan Regular Check-ins for Long-term Success
Now's the perfect time to create a sustainable check-in system. Here’s how to get started:
➤ Weekly Reviews
Block out time on your schedule for a 30-minute review, once a week. Acknowledge every win, no matter how small, and take note of the goals you’ve been succeeding with, and which strategies need some TLC. This weekly reflection helps you identify challenging patterns early and quickly adjust to keep your momentum strong.
➤ Monthly Check-ins
At the end of every month, do a larger picture reflection session. This bigger-picture perspective can allow you to touch base with yourself and plan for upcoming challenges. It can also give you a chance to boost motivation by reconnecting with your deeper "why."
➤ Quarterly Reflections
Think of these as your strategic planning sessions. Take an objective look at how your daily habits are building toward your bigger vision, identify which skills you've developed, and spot opportunities for growth. If goals have changed over time, take note and shift course with intention.
Make 2025 Your Year of Mindful Progress
Remember, creating lasting change isn't about perfect execution—it's about consistent, mindful progress. True transformation happens when we understand our patterns and make adjustments that align with our natural rhythms and real lives.
That's why it's so important to set goals that truly resonate with your values, break them into manageable steps, and prepare for both the highs and lows along the way. When you combine meaningful intentions with flexible strategies and regular check-ins, you're building a foundation for lasting change—not just another resolution that fades by February.
Start by choosing one goal that genuinely resonates with you. Your future self will thank you for taking that first step today.
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References
- Gilmar, P. (2024). Research shows only 9% of Americans achieve their New Year’s resolutions. KX NEWS. https://doi.org/10332826.m3u8
- The Psychology Behind New Year’s Resolutions That Work. (2022). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/decisions-and-the-brain/202212/the-psychology-behind-new-years-resolutions-that-work?amp
