The Psychology of New Year’s Resolutions – How to Succeed in Goal Setting!
By Dr Dawn H Nicholson.
It’s the time when many of us are thinking about setting new goals and objectives for the coming year – have you done so in the form of a New Year’s Resolution? But effective goal setting is a critical skill. Failing to create or set a ‘good’ goal is like falling at the first hurdle.
In a longitudinal study of New Year’s resolvers, Norcross et al. (2002) found that those with a goal – in this case, their New Year’s resolution – reported higher rates of success than those who did not have a clear goal. 46% of the resolvers were continuously successful in achieving the goal, versus only 4% of the non-resolvers. Creating a goal is, therefore, clearly important.
Why Do We Make New Year’s Resolutions?
Inevitably, as we come to the end of a year, we look back over that year to assess how well we think it went. In order to achieve this, we need to go through an – honest(!) – period of self-reflection.
Reflection is a purposeful activity in which we analyse experiences, or our own practice, skills, and responses, in order to learn and improve. Depending on which reflective model you adopt, reflection can be anything from a three-stage process (e.g. Boud et al., 1985); to a five-phase process (e.g. Dewey, 1933, Loughran, 1996) or an eight-step (!) process (e.g. Mezirow, 1991).
As we reflect, we then begin to consider what we may need to change if we want different outcomes in the year ahead. Self-reflection can help with focusing and/or redirecting goals. This is where goal setting comes into play.
What Makes a ‘Good’ Goal?
Latham (2003) noted that a goal should be “SMART”:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
These are all important elements, but making the goal attainable and realistic is key. Brusso et al. (2012) studied 185 trainees in a video-based training environment and found that setting a goal too high created a single large discrepancy when that goal could not be met, which then negatively impacted subsequent training performance. So ‘reaching for the stars’ may not always be the best idea!
Goal specificity is another important feature. Koestner (2008) demonstrated that individuals who feel autonomous in goal setting are in a better position to achieve the goal than those who do not. Here, autonomy concerns whether a goal reflects an individual’s interests or personal values, versus whether it is adopted because of social pressure or expectations of what an individual “should” do.
Don’t adopt a goal just because others do. If you are not sufficiently invested, the likelihood of achieving the goal will be reduced.
Achieving the Goal
Once a goal has been set, evidence shows that making a public commitment to the goal enhances commitment. For example, Nyer and Dellande (2010) found that the publicness with which a commitment to weight loss was made had a significant and favourable outcome on long-term weight loss compliance behaviour: short- or long-term public commitments resulted in higher levels of weight loss motivation and weight loss.
Enacting the goal intention requires an effective self-regulation strategy – this is important to ensure you don’t fall into the ‘intention-behaviour gap’ (Sheeran, 2002; Wieber et al., 2012, 2013). Here are some tips for how to achieve this:
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Create implementation Intentions. These are specific “if-then” plans – for example “if I feel like doom-scrolling my phone (trigger), then I will take the dog out for a walk (action)”. If-then planning is known to reduce the ‘intention-behaviour’ gap (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006).
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Break the goal down. This involves setting manageable milestones and rewarding yourself when you hit those milestones. This can also help you maintain momentum when the going gets tough. It also helps with keeping track of progress – quantifying your progress is important!
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Remove temptation. For example, if you are trying to cut down on your social media scrolling or phone usage, then don’t take the phone into the bedroom at night. This removes the temptation to take a ‘last look’ before bedtime or if you wake up in the night – something I am exceptionally prone to do!
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Avoid the ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset. Accept that there will be ‘slip-ups’. Setbacks are a normal part of any process, and we can learn from the failures and adjust as we move forward. It doesn’t mean that the goal needs to be completely abandoned!
Whatever your 2026 goals – I wish you luck in achieving them!
About the Author
Dr Dawn H. Nicholson is Vice Chair of The ABP and Head of University Accreditation, with almost three decades of HR and consulting experience and a PhD in Decision-Making Psychology. A Chartered Psychologist and ABP Fellow, she has led Business Psychology programmes at Kent and Arden universities and remains active in the Business Psychology industry. As Biz Psych Cup Lead, she champions collaboration between academia and business. Passionate about guardianship and growth of the field, Dawn works to raise standards, support emerging talent, and promote the value of Business Psychology. She also enjoys countryside walks with her two lively cocker spaniels.
Selected References
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 38, pp. 69–119). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
Koestner, R. (2008). Reaching one's personal goals: A motivational perspective focused on autonomy. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 49(1), 60-67. doi:10.1037/0708-5591.49.1.60
Latham, G. P. (2003). Goal Setting: A Five-Step Approach to Behavior Change. Organizational Dynamics, 32(3), 309-318. doi:10.1016/S0090-2616(03)00028-7
Norcross, J. C., Mrykalo, M. S., & Blagys, M. D. (2002). Auld Lang Syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year's resolvers and nonresolvers. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 58(4), 397-405. doi:10.1002/jclp.1151
Nyer, P. U., & Dellande, S. (2010). Public commitment as a motivator for weight loss. Psychology & Marketing, 27(1), 1-12. doi:10.1002/mar.20316