Truth About New Year Resolutions, article by Sujal Mirchandani

 Sujal Mirchandani

26th January 2025

Truth About New Year Resolutions

A research by Fisher College of Business, claims that almost half of the people who make a New Year’s Resolution quit it by the end of January. Also, only 9% of Americans that make resolutions end up completing them by the end of the year. Why is this the case? Why is the success rate for accomplishing resolutions so low? There are many factors that lead to people quitting their resolution goals with the main reasons being unrealistic expectations, lack of plan, and lack of motivation. In this article, we will look at each of the reasons in detail to better understand the main reasons people do not succeed in their resolutions. 

One of the main reasons for failing New Year Resolution is setting unrealistic expectations. Many people are too motivated by the start of the new year and tend to have expectations which are not attainable. An example of this can be when a person who hasn’t exercised in his lifetime makes a resolution that he will exercise 7 days a week. The person is very likely to quit his resolution in a few weeks since he is not capable of the challenge that he forced on himself. This sudden change would lead to a burnout and exhaustion, making it impossible for him to stick to his resolution. Therefore, it is important to set realistic expectations to increase the likelihood of you being able to achieve your goals. 

Another reason why people fail to achieve their New Year goals is because they do not have a fixed plan. Most people make vague goals such as “eat healthier” or “read more” and they fail to have a plan of how they are going to achieve their goals. As a result of setting vague goals, tracking your progress can be much harder, since there are no means for you to track how far you have come. When people can’t see progress, they lose motivation and end up quitting their goals. Although your goals can be vague when you first plan them, it is essential to outline them and have actionable plans for it. 

Lack of motivation is also a reason that makes it unlikely for people to succeed in achieving their goals. People make their resolutions from full motivation in the beginning of the year, but that motivation starts to fade. Many people might work hard for the first week or so, and then eventually start to lose energy to work hard. The resolution starts to become a mundane task rather than a goal that you want to achieve. Also, when people do not see results in a short period of time, they start to lose motivation. Lack of motivation is a major reason people cannot stay consistent with their resolutions. 

In conclusion, it is important to consider these factors when you plan your New Year’s Resolution to ensure you can succeed in achieving them. A proper resolution must be realistic, planned out, and one that motivates you to work hard for it. 

Works Cited

Batts, Richard. “Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail | Lead Read Today.” Lead Read 

Today | Fisher College of Business, 2 Feb. 2023, fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/why-most-new-years-resolutions-fail.