From a psychological perspective, setting goals at the beginning of the year does not always lead to real change. When resolutions are vague, imposed, or excessive, they often generate frustration, guilt, and abandonment rather than well-being and personal growth.
Every year ends with an almost mandatory exercise: setting goals for the year ahead. Eat better. Exercise more. Save money. Change jobs. “Be better.” However, psychology suggests that this ritual is not always healthy or effective. For many people, it becomes a source of frustration, self-blame, and emotional exhaustion.
The problem is not having goals, but how and why they are set.
The Symbolic Weight of “New Year”
The beginning of a new year functions as a symbolic marker of change. Culturally, it is associated with starting over, leaving mistakes behind, and reinventing oneself. This can be positive when there is a genuine desire for transformation, but it can also create artificial pressure—the feeling that one must change simply because the calendar has turned.
Psychology shows that lasting change does not depend on dates, but on internal processes. When goals are driven more by social expectations than by personal motivation, they are usually abandoned quickly.
Vague Goals: The Fastest Path to Failure
One of the main problems with New Year’s resolutions is how they are formulated. Phrases like “exercise more,” “lose weight,” or “be more productive” are too general. They do not specify what to do, when, or how.
Vagueness creates a false sense of intention but does not trigger action. Without a clear path, the brain cannot organize concrete efforts, and abandonment appears early—often accompanied by self-criticism and discouragement.
When Goals Become a Burden
Another common mistake is setting too many goals at once. Changing habits requires mental energy, attention, and consistency. Accumulating objectives often produces the opposite effect: overwhelm, stress, and a sense of anticipated failure.
In addition, many people set goals that are not fully under their control—such as “earning more money” or “being successful”—or goals driven solely by external rewards. Psychology shows that these goals are harder to sustain because they do not strengthen a sense of personal agency or intrinsic motivation.
What Actually Works (and Is Rarely Done in January)
Psychological evidence indicates that sustainable change is built on small, specific, and realistic goals, connected to enjoyment and intrinsic motivation. It is not about “wanting more,” but about wanting better.
Some key principles:
- Define concrete and measurable actions (for example, walking 30 minutes three times a week).
- Focus on one goal at a time.
- Break large changes into small, manageable steps.
- Choose activities you actually enjoy, not just those you think you should do.
- Take personal responsibility for the process, without expecting magical solutions.
- Make sure the goal truly matters to you, not to meet others’ expectations.
Fewer Promises, More Processes
From a psychological point of view, the problem with New Year’s resolutions is not the desire to improve, but the illusion of fast and total transformation. Personal growth does not happen by decree or by calendar—it happens through repetition, coherence, and commitment to everyday processes.
Sometimes, choosing not to set grand resolutions is an act of self-care. Instead of promising to “become someone else,” it may be healthier to ask what small change can realistically be sustained today. That is where real change begins.
