The Science-Backed Way to Actually Keep Your 2026 Resolutions

It's January 5th, and most of us are still riding that New Year's wave. We're ready to shed 2025, build new habits, work toward new goals. This is the year we'll lose the 20 pounds, prioritize sleep, launch the thing, find a new job.

But here's what often happens: mid-January hits and we fail. Miserably. We beat ourselves up, maybe try again, but to no avail. By year's end, we've done some things, but we're not confident in what we've actually accomplished.

Or maybe you're the exception, someone who had a strong year and showed up for everything you said you would.

Either way, I've learned something crucial about accomplishing goals: it starts with two fundamental questions. What do I want? And when am I doing it?

The Gap We're Not Talking About

For me, goals always start with time management. Where am I going to make room for what I want to call in? How am I going to fit my goals into real life?

There's a gap we experience between:

• Vision and execution
• Desire and capacity
• Clarity and consistency

Your goals for 2026 don't need more effort. They need room. And a structure that fits your life.

Before you dive into showing up and doing the goals, I want you to slow down. What is one stabilized focus you can take on right now in Q1 that you can build slowly? Something that will help you build momentum later this year so you truly feel the expansion. And where are you creating room for this one thing?

Because here's the truth: a vision board with no action is just pressure.

Understanding the Motivation Timeline

Let me share what science actually tells us about New Year's resolutions, because it might help you be gentler with yourself.

Early January (Days 1-7): The Fresh Start Boost
Right after New Year's Day, you feel energized. This "clean page" effect is real, your brain gets a mental reset signal from the calendar. But it's temporary.

Mid-January (~Days 15-19): The First Dip
Motivation starts fading as normal life returns. Behavior tracking data even identifies an informal "Quitter's Day" in mid-January when engagement drops significantly.

Late January to Early February: The Broader Drop-Off
By this point, many people stop sticking to their intentions and slip back toward old routines.

And here's what matters most: the initial fresh start boost naturally wanes before habit change has time to take hold.

You've probably heard that habits take 21 days to form. That's actually a myth from the 1960s. Real research shows habit formation takes around 66 days on average, but it can range anywhere from 18 to 254 days depending on the behavior and the person.

Think about that. Most people hit their first real challenge before the habit is even close to automatic. When motivation dips around day 19 or in that late January stretch, it doesn't mean you've failed. It simply means you're entering the real work of forming change.

Motivation is emotion-driven, it fades as reality and demands compete for your attention. But structure and support systems engage other brain mechanisms that help behavior persist after motivation declines.

The Three-Step Framework That Actually Works

If you want to be successful this year with your resolutions, you have to make the room. Here's how:

Step 1: Make Room

What is it you want to call in, manifest, change, build, etc?

Now decide: when are you going to dedicate time to it?

Be specific. Something may need to give, watching TV at night, going to bed late, scrolling before breakfast. You can't add without creating space first.

Step 2: Create the Plan

Let's decide in advance how you'll show up, so you don't have to negotiate with yourself later. Motivation comes and goes. Structure stays.

During dedicated planning time, map out:

• Habits and routines that support your goal.
• Action steps you're going to take.
• What's the plan? Take decision-making out of the equation so it's easier when motivation runs out.

Step 3: Protect the Plan

This is where most of us lose the thread. We make room, we make the plan, and then life happens. Here are four gentle supports to protect what you've built:

1. Share It With Someone
   Find an accountability partner. Someone who will check in, celebrate wins, and remind you why this matters.
2. Create Boundaries (With Yourself First)
   This is where your leadership wisdom shines:

• Say no to things that don't serve your goals.
• Protect calendar time without over-explaining.
• And especially: "I don't abandon this because I had an off day".

That last one? That's a boundary with your inner critic.

3. Reduce Distractions + Regulate Your Energy
   Distraction is often a nervous system response, not a discipline issue. Notice when you're reaching for your phone or procrastinating. What do you actually need in that moment?
4. Anchor Back to Your Why
   Create an affirmation, a sentence you come back to, a reminder of who you're becoming, not just what you're doing.

The Truth About Change

When I'm trying to make a change, I don't rely on motivation.

I make room.
I make a plan.
And I protect it, especially on the days I'd rather quit quietly.

So what's your one stabilized focus for Q1? Where are you making room? And who's going to help you protect it?

This is the year, not because you'll be perfect, but because you'll build something sustainable.

Erin