Why You Struggle to Keep New Year’s Goals (And the Simple Fix)
By Caity Somers, Founder
As the New Year begins, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the highs and lows of the past year and setting intentions for what we want to achieve in 2025. Whether you’re a fan of New Year’s resolutions or prefer to focus on broader goals, it’s almost inevitable that someone has recently asked, “Do you have any New Year’s resolutions for 2025?”
To be honest, it always felt a little off to me. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it recently, and I’d like to share a personal story to explain why.
The Power of Private Goals
Last July, I began my first “cut” since having my son just over a year earlier. For those unfamiliar, a “cut” is just fitness slang for “cutting fat”, or intentionally entering a calorie deficit to lose body fat.
I shared this goal with just one person - a friend who committed to chasing the same goal with me. I didn’t even mention it to my husband for the first few weeks.
What followed was five months of a very slow, consistent fat loss phase. I tracked my food, I mostly ate at home, and hit my step and training targets week after week - all in the quiet. I didn’t share updates with anyone or post a single thing on social media. Instead of telling people what I aimed to achieve, I focused on showing them.
By November, it was noticeable. People began noticing and commenting on how lean I looked. My abs were visible, and most importantly, I felt more confident than ever because I knew I was living in alignment with my goal.
If a complete stranger observed my life, would they recognise my goals based on my actions?
All Talk, No Action
Now, I want to acknowledge that everyone’s motivations differ. Personally, I’m extremely self-motivated and don’t feel I need others to keep me on track - but not everyone operates this way. That said, I believe there’s a valuable lesson in this story.
Research has shown that publicly announcing your goals can create a premature sense of accomplishment, reducing the motivation to follow through. Think about how great it feels to walk away from a goal-setting session - that surge of excitement comes from sharing your intentions. It triggers a dopamine release and gives you a false sense of progress before the real work has even begun.
In a study at NYU, psychologist Peter Gollwitzer found that individuals who publicly declared their goals were less likely to achieve them compared to those who kept their intentions private. The act of announcing their objectives provided a sense of satisfaction that diminished the drive to actually pursue them.
“Goal sharing often gives us the same psychological satisfaction of accomplishing the goal without having to do the hard work. In other words, talking becomes a substitute for doing.” Michael Hyatt
A Better Way to Approach Your Goals in 2025
Does this mean you should never share your goals? Absolutely not. But there’s a lot of power in approaching your goals this year by asking yourself these questions:
Rather than telling people what I’m going to do, how can I show them?
If a complete stranger observed my life, would they recognise my goals based on my actions?
Let your actions speak louder than your words. When you live in alignment with your goals, you won’t just achieve them - you’ll inspire others to do the same without ever having to say a word.
Need Support?
If you’re feeling stuck and need help to finally achieve your goals this year, book a free consultation today.