New Year's resolutions are notoriously difficult to keep, with research showing that only 8% of people who make them actually succeed, according to a study from the University of Scranton compiled by Statistic Brain. Psychologists point to several reasons why most resolutions fail, including unrealistic goals, procrastination, and the false sense of achievement from merely announcing intentions.
Timothy Pychyl, associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, says that resolutions have 'failure and procrastination built into them from the get-go.' Many people choose overly ambitious goals, assuming they can become a completely different person in the new year, explains psychotherapist Rachel Weinstein, co-director of the Adulting School in Portland, Maine. Instead, changes happen in small steps over time.
Joseph Luciani, a psychologist specialising in self-coaching techniques in Cresskill, New Jersey, warns that repeated failure to stick to resolutions can leave people feeling discouraged, making it harder to set new goals later. He describes holiday intentions as 'hollow intentions' that often lead to a 'gung-ho to this-is-too-hard' attitude.
To improve success rates, experts advise starting early rather than waiting for 1 January, as delaying serves as a form of culturally prescribed procrastination. Pychyl also cautions against telling friends about resolutions too soon, as research shows that announcing goals can provide a premature sense of reward, reducing motivation to actually achieve them. Setting small, achievable goals and scaling up gradually is recommended for better follow-through.
