Why Your New Years Resolutions

Never Work

Join The Crowd

It’s a ritual: every January, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions, vowing that THIS will be the year they finally lose weight, quit smoking, or achieve their biggest goals. But by February, most of those resolutions have been abandoned. In fact, 93 percent will have given up before the end of January.

Why do these well-intentioned goals so often fail, and how can you make your resolutions actually stick?”

A computer showing a screen with goals 2020 on it to show the importance of performance coacvhing.

Resolutions Lack Clarity

Many resolutions fail because they are too vague or poorly defined. Goals like “get in shape” or “be more productive” sound good, but they’re too broad to be actionable. Without clear, specific steps, losing focus or motivation is easy.

If you resolve to get healthier, what does that really mean? Does it mean exercising every day? Eating fewer carbs? When goals are too broad, it’s unclear where to start or how to measure success, making it easy to give up.

Relying Too Much On Willpower

People often assume that willpower alone will carry them through their resolutions.

Willpower is a limited resource, and it’s easy to fall back into old habits when it runs out. Relying solely on willpower without addressing underlying habits or mindsets is a recipe for failure.

You might feel highly motivated to stick to a new diet at the beginning of the year. But after a few weeks, when stress and cravings kick in, willpower starts to fade. Without a deeper strategy, most people revert to old eating patterns.”

A compass pointing to the word success for Nick Hughes Coaching

Subconscious Beliefs Sabotage Success

People often fail to address the subconscious beliefs that are holding them back. Even with the best intentions, if your subconscious mind holds limiting beliefs like “I don’t deserve success” or “I’ll never be able to change,” you’re likely to self-sabotage.

These ingrained beliefs can only be changed with more profound work, such as hypnosis or mindset coaching.
Someone might set a goal to earn more money, but if they subconsciously believe that wealth is only for certain types of people, they will unknowingly sabotage opportunities or avoid taking action toward that goal.

No Accountability Or Support System

It’s easier for you to let resolutions slide when things get tough without accountability.

You’re more likely to stick to your goals when you have someone to hold you accountable. This could be a coach, an accountability partner, or even just a supportive community. Without this, it’s easier to justify quitting.

Think about how many times you’ve promised yourself you’d go to the gym but found an excuse to stay home. Now imagine having a friend waiting for you at the gym every morning. Accountability makes a big difference in sticking to your goals.

Failure To Address Emotional Triggers

Emotional triggers like stress, fear, or self-doubt can derail even the best resolutions.

People often fail to account for the emotional challenges of making changes. Stressful situations, fear of failure, or feelings of unworthiness can trigger old habits and cause resolutions to fall apart.

If your resolution is to stop emotional eating, but you don’t address the underlying stress or anxiety driving that behavior, you’ll likely revert to overeating when life gets tough.

A woman struggling mentally with her palms on a bathroom mirror.

Lack Of Immediate Rewards

Resolutions often fail because the benefits seem too distant, while the effort is immediate.

Many people abandon resolutions because the reward for sticking to them is delayed. Humans are wired to prefer immediate gratification, so long-term goals can lose their appeal when the reward isn’t immediately visible.

If your resolution is to lose weight, the effort you put into exercising and eating well may not show up on the scale for weeks or months. This delayed gratification can make it challenging to stay motivated when the results seem too far in the future.

An ashray full of cigarette butts to show how habits can be hard to break by Nick Hughes Coaching

Old Habits Die Hard

People often underestimate how deeply ingrained their old habits are, making change difficult.

Your habits are powerful because they operate on autopilot. Trying to change a habit without understanding how habits form and how to replace them can lead to frustration and a lack of success.

If your resolution is to stop smoking, but you haven’t addressed the triggers or routines that lead you to light up in the first place, it’s easy to fall back into old patterns, even when you’re committed to quitting.”

How To Make Resolutions Stick

Set Specific, Achievable Goals – In my book “ASPIRE,” I mention the importance of making your goals incredibly detailed and specific. As Tony Robbins used to say, “If you tell me your goal is to make more money, I’ll give you a quarter and say, ‘There, mission accomplished.”

Create a Plan

The P in ASPIRE stands for planning. Break your goals into smaller, manageable steps with specific timelines. This makes the resolution less overwhelming and gives a clear roadmap to follow.

Reprogram Limiting Beliefs

Address subconscious beliefs that might sabotage success through hypnosis, coaching, or mindset work.

Build Accountability

Yep. The A in ASPIRE is for accountability. Find an accountability partner or coach to help you stay on track and provide support when motivation wanes.

Celebrate Small Wins

Guess what the R in ASPIRE stands for? Yep. Reward. Reward yourself for small successes along the way to maintain motivation and momentum.

What To Do Next

Don’t let another year go by where your resolutions fizzle out. By addressing the deeper issues behind why resolutions fail and using tools like hypnosis and coaching to reprogram your mind and create lasting habits, you can make this year the year of real, lasting change. Ready to make resolutions that stick? Let’s talk about how I can help.