Every January, millions around the world set ambitious goals for the new year, hoping for change. This practice is known as creating New Year’s resolutions. However, despite their intended purposes, these goals often become a distant memory as the year continues. Many people see the new year as a new way to change themselves and make a change. This is why many set these goals as a stride in a positive direction. These goals can range from consistently going to the gym to saving more money to addressing past habits.
However, despite the good intentions of the resolutions as mentioned above, many are not brought to fruition throughout the year. “Many people set very specific goals or unrealistic goals that cause stress and are harder to carry through; this causes many to give up easily,” says Eden Clark, a freshman.
Freshman Elle Hileman has a similar view. “New year’s resolutions aren’t completely ineffective, but many do not set goals well,” Hileman explains. Many New Year’s resolutions created are not measurable, making them hard to track progress throughout the year.
However, for junior Anna Brobst, she believes New Year’s resolutions are a great way to start the year fresh. “New year’s resolutions can be effective if you stick with them and stay consistent,” says Brobst. While Brobst believes that New Year’s resolutions can be effective, she acknowledges the issues with them. “Many people create too hard goals, and they don’t try hard enough to stick with them.
A recent survey brings new statistics about the effectiveness of these resolutions. According to the Pew Research Center in America, 3/10 adults create New Year’s resolutions. However, after just a month, only 86% of them try to keep up with the resolution. As the year progresses, the numbers lower. Only 59% of those who set goals said they were at least partially effective. The primary reason for these lowered numbers is the unrealistic goal-setting.
To help create more effective resolutions, the National Library of Medicine proposes a new look at goal-setting and tips to help carry through. They suggest using the SMART goal setting. This acronym provides good characteristics for goal setting. SMART stands for specific, measurable, accepted, realistic, and time-framed goals. By making sure goals fit into these characteristics, they can be more effective. Many people quit new year’s resolutions due to making excuses because their goals are too difficult to continue throughout the year.
By setting realistic goals that can be measured throughout the year, people are more likely to carry them through. The National Library of Medicine also suggests using interim goals to be more effective. These are smaller goals that are achieved throughout the year. Many create only one big resolution for the whole year, causing them to procrastinate on their goal. By creating smaller interim goals off of the larger goal, they can be measured throughout the year. This encourages people to work towards their goal throughout the whole year.
Another way to approach New Year’s resolutions is by rethinking how goals are set in the first place. Instead of creating a single, strict resolution, some people use creative methods such as a New Year’s bingo card. This idea for a bingo card surfaced on the internet, making it very popular. Camille Reed, a sophomore, describes her usage of the bingo card. “I do a bingo card because it is more measurable and has smaller goals to complete throughout the year,” Reed explains. On her 2026 bingo card, she put goals such as new items she wants to crochet, or a song she wants to learn on an instrument.
Bingo cards include a variety of small achievable goals. Many set goals such as reading a certain number of books, trying new hobbies, or practicing self-care. Using a bingo card allows for flexibility and reduces the pressure to succeed at only one goal.
While many New Year’s resolutions fail, they are not inherently ineffective. Their success depends on how they are set and maintained. When goals are more realistic, specific, and supported by a strong plan and mindset, New Year’s resolutions can be used as a powerful tool for personal growth. Instead of abandoning resolutions altogether, many people benefit from rethinking how to approach them.
