Resourcing vs. resolution-setting.
/On the last day of 2025, the manager at my bank said, “I have to ask the all-important question: What’s your New Year’s resolution?” I was caught off guard – I haven’t made a resolution in years. Resolutions have never worked for me, and I’ve spent ample effort understanding why. I try not to get caught up in the tradition of resolution and, instead, consider January a time to review, reflect, and revise. By the Chinese New Year, I’m working on a plan with resources to help me execute it.
January seems like the most inopportune time to start something new! To make a declaration in the aftermath of the holiday spirit high is setting ourselves up for failure. Often, in our revelry, we decide to change of fix about our lives, yet by a few weeks into the month we have no clear path forward. Our willpower has faded. We lack discipline. We disappoint ourselves.
Rather, January is favorable for resetting rhythms. We resume school, work and activities. We reset bedtimes and recommence meal plans. We restore holiday decorations and reclaim our home after visitors depart. January can provide the calm after the storm.
And, yet, in my line of work, January explodes with client consultations, as people seek accountability and guidance. My existing clients renew health goals that slipped during the holiday chaos, and new clients finally commit to themselves. Not surprisingly, most New Year’s resolutions are health related – up to 80% of people making resolutions listed health, exercise or diet as their number one resolution, including mental health and weight loss (1, 2). Trends for 2026? Exercise more (48%): eat healthier (45%); lose weight (31%) (3).
However, plenty of data shows most of us abandon resolutions, with up to 88% of us dropping resolutions within two weeks (4). Other stats indicate only 9% of people “complete” a New Year’s resolution (5).
On the flip side, up to 70% of people don’t make resolutions, citing reasons like no interest, forgetting to do so, or feeling like they fail at resolutions (2). I can relate! New Year’s resolutions feel futile because my goals are always a bit too lofty or too fixed. I’m a dreamer, and it’s disappointing when I haven’t found my unicorn or pot of gold. And after years of designating financial goals – numbers I’ve never met – I wonder what’s wrong with me.
Yet complacency doesn’t serve us, either. We humans need to reassess our lives and habits, revisit our pillars of wellness, relationships and dreams – the New Year can be a powerful time to do so. Let’s also be clear: a resolution is not a goal. A resolution is something we decide to do or not do, something we want to “fix.” A goal is a destination, desired result, outcome – it’s “fixed” and definitive.
A resolution can be something like deciding to improve one’s fitness or diet, while a goal would be to run a half marathon or lose 25 pounds. One problem with resolutions is they’re vague, so we set goals to accomplish them. Yet the majority of us fail to meet our goals because we jump out of the starting gate full throttle, without proper fuel, tools, support, strategy or resources to sustain that kind of momentum. (Plus, we’re exhausted from the holidays!) How do we ever improve?
Obviously, many people have studied this conundrum. In my nutritionist experience coupled with personal growth perspectives, the main factors at play are lack of belief in ourselves and lack of resources. (If you haven’t read my article about commitment issues and beliefs, please do!)
My job is to help people believe in themselves. I’m a trusted source – and resource. When clients feel motivated to get started right away toward their goals, I invite them to slow down and impress the benefits of a steady, transformative process. Wellness is a journey, not a destination. My colleagues and I are their guides. We help them create realistic expectations; take small steps toward big change; be consistent; evaluate mindful progress; work through obstacles; reduce overwhelm; filter noise; commit to safe and personalized recommendations; tune into inner wisdom; believe in themselves. If you are a Jedi stuck in the soupy swamp, I am your Yoda.
At the center of every worthwhile journey is resourcefulness – not resolution.
Resolutions are static, external goals that can be motivating, yet more people succeed when they commit to personal change in consistent, committed ways. Who are we becoming as we strategize our goals? We become a runner who completes a half marathon or an intentional eater who loses weight.
It’s not easy. There is no quick fix. No magic pill or shot. When ready for transformation, be resourceful. Rather than being resolute – relying on willpower, discipline and future-oriented outcomes – being resourceful helps us remain in the present. Resourcefulness is nourishing, regenerative, sustainable – like all systems that truly work. Like a Jedi, consider tapping into both external and internal resources.
External resources
· Time, schedules, commitments
· Nourishment from food, water, breath, movement, nature
· Support from friends, family, community, guides
· Daily rhythms, practices, structures
Internal resources
· The nervous system and stress resiliency
· Values, beliefs, mindfulness
· Intuition, self, source
· Energy, alignment to our personal path
Resourcing shifts the question from, “What do I want to achieve?” to “How can I be well supported in this season of change?” We focus on the person we are becoming, not the end result.
Resourcing shifts from
· An overly aspirational goal to a realistic baseline.
· Checking the boxes of what we should do to becoming the gateway follow-through.
· Force or pressure to stability of mind-body-spirit.
· Rewards to infrastructure.
· Self-driven effort to trusted support.
· Demanding change from an already depleted system to replenishing our systems so change emerges naturally.
Name one thing you’d like to work on in 2026. Which external and internal resource(s) need support? Who or what can you tap into to help you feel nourished, steady and supported on your path toward becoming the version of you who takes intentional action?
References:
(1) https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/new-years-resolutions-statistics/
(2) https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/29/new-years-resolutions-who-makes-them-and-why/
(4) https://www.bcm.edu/news/new-years-resolutions-why-do-we-give-up-on-them-so-quickly
(5) https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/why-most-new-years-resolutions-fail
I’d love to hear what comes up for you as you consider resourcefulness vs. resolutions. If you’d like, please comment here or send me a direct message. One great resource is these weekly articles – if you haven’t already subscribed to 5B Gazette, what’s stopping you?