A New Take on an Old Tradition: Resolutions vs New Year’s Themes

It’s almost time to ring in the New Year!  For some, the start of the year is a prime opportunity to wipe the slate clean and set goals. For others, the thought of making New Year’s resolutions triggers a heavy eye roll. If you’re in the latter group, it’s OK and understandable! In a way, not making resolutions can be freeing. While New Year resolutions have a bad rap, they really shouldn’t. With the big holidays behind us, January provides a mental fresh start and the freedom to say goodbye to whatever happened in 2025.

An average of 44% of Americans make a New Year’s resolution before the night is over and the four most popular types of goals people set are to exercise, eat well, lose weight, and saving money.  Studies have shown that only 8% of people who make a New Year’s resolution will follow through all year, and 80% of people quit by February. According to Gloria Gates Behavioral Health Therapist, Courtney Blair, LCSW, “New Year’s resolutions fail for many reasons, ranging from goals that aren’t realistic to those that aren’t specific enough.”

Give the New Year a purpose instead of goals.

If creating a New Year’s Resolution still seems too overwhelming, there is still a way to make change. Unlike New Year’s themes, resolutions tend to jump straight to a behavior or reaction we want to change and can lead to one-off, isolated attempts for results without addressing the root and leads many to feel like a failure with this ‘all or nothing’ nature.

Creating the concept of a ‘New Year’s Theme’ in your life might take the pressure off the strict behavior to change, “to do or not to do” something. Courtney Blair, LCSW states, “Themes allow us to create a broader concept that can guide our decisions and actions throughout the whole year.”

A New Year’s Theme is a concept to create to be more intentional about the changes you want to make in your life while creating grace, self-compassion, and an overall “whole” feeling of wellness.  This can be a word or phrase that will sum up your focus for the year.  This can also be a “mantra” that resonates with how you want to feel rather than what you want to achieve or change.  You can use this as a daily guideline to follow that can apply to many areas of your life.

How to Choose a Theme:

1. Reflect: What did you learn last year? What feels missing or desired?
2. Identify: Find a word that ignites something positive and aligns with your values.
3. Apply: Keep your theme visible (on your desk, phone) and check in monthly to see how your choices align with it.

Examples of New Year’s Themes:

• Self-Care
• Wellness
• Gratitude
• Presence
• Balance
• Flexible

For themes or unquantified goals, I’m sure many will ask, “but how will you know how well you’ve done?” The answer is you’ll just know.

Whether you decide on making a New Year’s Resolution or creating a New Year’s Theme (or neither!), know that anytime spent investing in yourself will pay dividends for the entire year.

Tips to Stick with Promises for the New Year

According to Gloria Gates Behavioral Health Therapist, Courtney Blair, LCSW, “New Year’s resolutions fail for many reasons, ranging from goals that aren’t realistic to those that aren’t specific enough.”

• Be realistic: One way to increase the likelihood you’ll stick with your self-made promises is to be realistic. If you want to develop a healthier exercise habit, start slowly and build up over time. If you aim too high right away, it’s easy to become frustrated or disappointed and give up. Be more reasonable so you don’t set yourself up for failure.
• Be forgiving: Forgive yourself if you get off track and recommit to your goal. A few stressful days at work might lead you to skip the gym and hit the donut shop instead. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you’d offer a friend. Accept that mistakes and setbacks are part of being human. Shake it off and try again. Don’t just give up.
• Be specific: One final tip is to make your resolutions clear and explicit. Vague goals like “lose weight” or “exercise more” just aren’t specific enough to hold you accountable. For example, decide what your healthy weight should be, determine how much weight you need to lose, and break it down into smaller steps. It’s probably a good idea to discuss your goals with your physician and ask for advice on the best diet for your personal situation.