Putting the “R.E.S.O.L.U.T.E.” in Resolutions: Why New Year’s Resolutions Are (Psychologically) Hard

Picture this: on the first morning of January, you start acting on your New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe you want a better diet and look up healthy recipes online. Perhaps you want to start a new self-care routine and invest in more hygiene products. Or maybe you want to be an “academic weapon” and focus more on your studies. Five days in, you realize some things. Cooking healthy is getting bland, you’re too busy for a self-care routine, and maybe your studies are too challenging to focus on. Before you know it, by the second week of January, you’re back where you started.

The idea of New Year’s Resolutions dates back to the days of ancient Babylonians who, at every start of the year, declared a new king and promised the gods they would return all debts they had made. Later on, in ancient Rome, the start of the year finally landed in January. Fun fact: The Romans named January after Janus, a two-headed mythological god to which Romans would also make New Year’s promises. Janus’ two heads symbolized looking back to the past and onward to the future. To this day, New Year’s Resolutions have been a tradition to instill better habits for the upcoming year.

That said, many statistics and experiences show how difficult it is to stick to New Year’s Resolutions. It’s almost comical to people how they barely even last until after a few weeks. But why do people even still have New Year’s Resolutions if they’re likely to be all for naught? 

Why Do New Year’s Resolutions “Fail”?

To some, the reason could be as simple as being pressured to follow tradition. Meanwhile, others create New Year’s Resolutions intending to change their lives to achieve ambitions and dreams. Such is why “New Year’s Resolution fails” are heartbreaking falls. Yet they still don’t directly address why New Year’s Resolutions seem so fickle.

There are many possible reasons why New Year’s Resolutions are complicated, each one varying according to individual circumstances. There may be shallower reasons: complacency, instant gratification, a lack of discipline, comfort zones, or maybe a mentality that takes things for granted with the common saying, “There’s always next year.” However, as always, there is more than meets the eye. 

According to Asim A Shah, M.D. (as claimed in an article by Taylor Barnes), the biggest reason why New Year’s Resolutions fail is that they’re often too unrealistically big and grand. See, when visualizing New Year’s Resolutions, we often imagine the wonderful outcomes that come only after the toil and trouble. Why else would we want to start working out if not for living healthier and having a better figure? Why else would we want a better academic life if not for the praise we get at graduation and the better future we have guaranteed? We all love a good “New Year, New Me” moment, where we present a magically enhanced version of ourselves for people to look forward to for the opening year. It’s all ambitious. 

But as we forget the path of hard work to our goals, the distance between what we want to attain and what we have in the present grows too large. While we may expect to enjoy a greener diet, for example, by the time we wake up on January 1, change isn’t that fast. The human mind isn’t quick to accept the new and discard the old lifestyle we’ve gotten used to. As in an article by Cynthia Vinney, PhD, clinical psychologist Terri Bly states that humans aren’t naturally built to tolerate massive changes in behavior. Thus, we naturally become overwhelmed and wish to turn tail. 

It’s now evident that New Year’s Resolutions take more than wishful thinking. They take both discipline and wise planning. With that, if we’re so determined to find ourselves brand-new for the New Year, what can we do for our resolutions to come to fruition?

A Student’s Tips On New Year’s Resolutions

Psychology students can guess that the key to unlocking behavioral change is an equally effective attitude. And that may as well be the case! Many professionals have already shared online their ideas on how to help New Year’s Resolutions come true. But as they require being persistent and resolute, as the name suggests, it can be helpful to remember 8 important points, one for each letter of R-E-S-O-L-U-T-E!

“R” stands for “Reflect and be self-aware.” If you already have New Year’s Resolutions, it can be safe to say that you’re already one step closer to achieving change. After all, one cannot know what resolutions to make if there is no needed change. Then again, it’s best to be sure and reflect on what else you can improve upon, such as your attitudes.  In line with this, “E” stands for “Establish a purpose and meaning.” Motivation is lower when doing New Year’s Resolutions simply for tradition, according to instructional designer Richard Batts. By finding the “whys” of your New Year’s Resolutions, you can become more empowered to adhere to them. 

“S” is for “Set SMART goals.” Because the number one reason for failed resolutions is a lack of realism, it’s a good idea to turn to “SMART” to view our resolutions as goals to meet, as supported in an article by Jenny Splitter. Make your New Year’s Resolutions specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based for a more concrete understanding of your growth.

“O” is for “Overcome obstacles.” Of course, trekking the path down your resolutions is not bound to be a straight course. Be on the lookout for potential temptations, unsupportive company, and barriers. By resolving them, you can reassure yourself of smoother sailing toward change.

“L” stands for “Let yourself be accountable.” This is not just in terms of staying responsible and having self-control. Find a way to keep yourself somewhat motivated and obligated to stay on the road of change. Whether it’s by writing your goals down, talking about them to a best friend, or getting your family to help, it’s also helpful to find something external to keep yourself grounded in your goals.

“U” stands for “Understand your limits.” Sometimes, the endpoint won’t always be how you thought of it. Maybe finances restrict you from a gym membership that could’ve helped you work out. Maybe inflation is keeping you far from your dream skincare plan. In these cases, learn to compromise. Experiment with other approaches. Maybe download free exercise apps, and so on. Be more flexible. Say, if you want to quit a bad habit, give yourself time to withdraw. Don’t expect yourself to come off it 100% by the time the countdown to New Year ends. Remember: it’s a human limitation to have comfort zones, too.

“T” is for “Track yourself.” Look back at the progress you’ve made every once in a while to keep you in touch with how close you’re coming to your goal. This is why it helps to keep your resolutions measurable and realistic.

And finally, “E” stands for “Embrace the journey and keep trying.” A study claims that it takes days to build new habits to result in change, so it’s important to keep trying despite setbacks. But by the presence of setbacks, remember that change is tough for everybody. Growth takes time. Wanting change and growth is already a good thing. It takes courage and strength. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and give yourself some grace in your New Year’s Resolutions.  

READ MORE: The History of New Year’s Resolutions

Rather than think of New Year’s Resolutions as futile promises, let them be the reminder of the voice inside you that yearns for something new and better. These promises are how your mind tries to give you a better life for yourself. Still, do not think that not being able to achieve them is to remain stuck in misery. Remember to be grateful for whatever you have, but seek to cultivate them further.