Every January, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions with the hope that this will be the year things finally change. They resolve to eat healthier, exercise more, drink less, or become more productive.
And then—by February—most of those goals quietly disappear.
Research consistently shows that only about 8–9% of people who make New Year’s resolutions successfully maintain them in the long term, with many abandoning their goals within the first few weeks of the year. The problem isn’t a lack of motivation or discipline. It’s that most resolutions are built on the wrong foundation.
At Edward Jenny & Associates, we believe meaningful change doesn’t start with rigid behavioral goals—it starts with curiosity, insight, and asking the right questions.
Why Behavioral Resolutions So Often Fail
Traditional New Year’s resolutions tend to focus narrowly on behavior:
- Eat better
- Work out every day
- Walk 10,000 steps
- Quit drinking
While concrete goals can be helpful, they often become stale, brittle, or quietly shaming. They rely heavily on willpower and ignore the deeper psychological forces that drive behavior in the first place.
When goals are disconnected from meaning and self-understanding, they rarely survive stress, uncertainty, or life changes.
A Different Approach: Mindsets Instead of Checklists
Rather than asking, “What behavior should I force myself to change?” we encourage a different question:
What state of mind do I want to cultivate that would naturally support a better life?
In our therapeutic and collaborative assessment work, we focus on questions as containers. Questions shape how we organize experience, connect ideas, and create narratives about who we are.
The right questions don’t demand immediate answers. They invite reflection. And reflection is where lasting change begins.
Don’t Skip the “Why”
Behavioral goals without insight often miss the point.
If I did eat healthier, what would that say about the life I want to live?
If I walked 10,000 steps, was I truly present in my body and surroundings—or just counting?
When change is disconnected from awareness, it can become another form of pressure rather than growth.
Let Curiosity Lead Change
As we reflect on the past year, it can be far more useful to ask:
- What questions did last year raise for me?
- What patterns am I beginning to notice about myself?
- What way of being would make my life feel more meaningful—not just more controlled?
For example, one of my own questions heading into 2026 is shaped by an unexpected health shift: learning to live well with a more reactive alpha-gal allergy after developing a sudden sensitivity to dairy. The question isn’t about rigid rules—it’s about understanding what this new information means for living thoughtfully and well.
That mindset allows flexibility, learning, and self-compassion as circumstances evolve.
A Better Way to Approach the New Year
The goal isn’t to abandon goals altogether. It’s to anchor them in curiosity rather than self-criticism.
When you focus on questions instead of rigid resolutions, you give yourself room to adapt, grow, and respond intelligently to new information. This approach supports sustainable change—rooted in insight rather than pressure.
At Edward Jenny & Associates, this philosophy guides our work in therapeutic assessment and psychotherapy. We help people ask the questions that lead to deeper understanding, reduced shame, and meaningful change.
If you’re interested in exploring the questions that could change everything for you, we’re here to help.
