Year-End Review & New Year Plan

New Year’s resolutions are often dismissed as ineffective. The failure rate is well documented, and the cultural narrative has shifted toward skepticism rather than optimism. Yet this dismissal overlooks an important finding from behavioral science: timing matters.

Research in behavioral economics and psychology shows that certain dates—referred to as temporal landmarks—reliably increase people’s motivation to pursue aspirational goals. New Year’s Day, birthdays, the beginning of a month, or even the first day after a vacation create a psychological separation between a “past self” and a “current self.” This perceived separation is associated with increased motivation to initiate goal-directed behavior, making people more willing to begin changes they might otherwise postpone.

The problem with resolutions, then, is not the moment itself. The problem is how people attempt to use it.

Most advice around New Year’s resolutions emphasizes motivation, discipline, or willpower. That framing assumes effort is the scarce resource. For many people managing complex responsibilities, effort is not the primary limitation.

The constraint is structural.

Resolutions often fail not because people lack desire, but because goals are paired with habits that are poorly designed for real life. A goal is set, enthusiasm is high, and behavior change is attempted without a system capable of sustaining it once novelty fades and competing demands reassert themselves.

This distinction sits at the core of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. McKeown’s argument is not about doing less for its own sake, but about recognizing that when everything feels important, execution suffers. Effectiveness comes from identifying the vital few decisions that truly matter and eliminating the rest. In the context of resolutions, this means fewer goals, fewer habits, and far more clarity about what deserves sustained attention.

As responsibilities grow, decisions multiply, and time fragments, habits that rely on constant self-control become increasingly fragile. Adding goals without changing the underlying structure often increases friction rather than progress.

Essentialism is concerned with what deserves attention, while McKeown’s second book, Effortless examines how execution can be made more sustainable.

Progress does not require strain. Instead, it depends on reducing unnecessary friction—cognitive, emotional, and logistical. This aligns with behavioral research showing that habits persist when they require less effort over time, not more.

In practice, this means designing behaviors that function under normal conditions: fatigue, distraction, imperfect schedules, and competing priorities. Habits that require constant exertion or ongoing motivation tend to collapse precisely when they are most needed.

What changes outcomes is how the behavior is set up, not how much effort is applied.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits approaches the same problem through habit formation, drawing on research into how lasting behaviors are built.

Clear’s four habit laws reflect well-established findings in behavioral psychology:

Habits that last are obvious. When behaviors are anchored to clear cues—specific times, locations, or preceding actions—they require less conscious initiation.
For example, a daily walk that always begins immediately after lunch is easier to initiate than one left to open-ended intention.

They are attractive, meaning they provide some form of immediate reinforcement, even when the long-term benefit is distant.
A habit that reliably improves mood or focus right away is more likely to be repeated than one whose payoff is abstract or delayed.

They are easy. Research consistently shows that reducing friction—fewer steps, less preparation, lower effort—improves consistency far more reliably than increasing intensity.
Laying out workout clothes the night before removes a step that often delays or prevents follow-through.

And they are satisfying. Immediate confirmation of completion reinforces repetition, supporting automaticity over time.
Simple acknowledgment that a behavior was completed—such as marking it finished on a checklist—helps reinforce consistency.

 

This approach draws on decades of research on cue–response patterns, reinforcement, and repetition, translating those findings into a practical framework for habit design. When habits are structured this way, they no longer compete as heavily with other demands for attention.

Ambition is abundant. Capacity is finite.

Behavioral research shows that pre-deciding matters more than trying harder.

Replacing vague resolutions with clear constraints—decisions made once, in advance—reduces decision fatigue and preserves cognitive resources. Establishing a standing weekly planning time, setting a firm end to the workday that does not require daily reevaluation, or committing to a single health behavior that occurs under fixed conditions are examples of structural commitments that eliminate repeated negotiation.

These function as systems because they clearly define when and how behavior occurs, removing the need for repeated choice.

 

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear

Empirical research supports this approach. Studies on goal pursuit consistently show that goals improve outcomes only when paired with execution mechanisms such as implementation intentions, stable cues, and reduced friction.

Habit-formation research further shows that repetition within a consistent context—not motivation or intensity—predicts whether a behavior becomes self-sustaining. This is why people who succeed at long-term change tend to focus less on aspiration and more on how a behavior fits into their daily life.

Goals define direction. Systems determine durability.

New Year’s resolutions fail when they rely on intention alone. They succeed when motivation is translated into structure.

Temporal landmarks provide a brief psychological opening. Used well, they allow for thoughtful redesign—fewer goals, clearer constraints, and habits engineered to last.

A year built around strong systems holds up far better than one built on ambition alone.

This year, I invite you to plan for—and design the systems to support—one defining annual goal, one monthly adventure, and one sustainable quarterly habit. Rather than taking on more, the focus is on choosing what can realistically be sustained. With the right structure in place, we can be among the few that create lasting change in 2026. 

Wishing you a thoughtful and prosperous year ahead.

Recommended Reading: Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less and Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most, James Clear’s Atomic Habits, Cal Newport’s Deep Work, and Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit.