Searching the internet, with regards to New Year resolutions and their success rates, a study from the University of Scranton, USA is often quoted which suggests that only 8% succeed. This of course means a staggering 92% will FAIL!!!!

When people make New Year resolutions they of course are not expecting to fail, so what happens?

I don’t presume for a minute to know every reason why someone encounters difficulties, but I believe I can make some good guesstimations for some of them.

How realistic were their expectations?

They may have started with good intentions but perhaps their timeframe for achieving change was simply unrealistic.

Not achieving the results they desire quickly enough they became despondent and eventually gave up.

How committed were they to achieving their goals?

January 1 is looming fast and a New Year offers new possibilities, but how much planning has gone into their decision to make a change in their life?

Often very little time is spent in the planning phase considering the steps required to make it happen.

A vague sense of direction is not a good barometer for change.

Without a true sense of purpose, an idea of where they are heading and how long it may take to reach their goal, many people with struggle.

So what are the things people most want to change?

According to a recent ComRes poll, the most common New Year’s resolutions include:

1. Exercise more (38 per cent)
2. Lose weight (33 per cent)
3. Eat more healthily (32 per cent)
4. Take a more active approach to health (15 per cent) =
5. Learn new skill or hobby (15 per cent) =
6. Spend more time on personal wellbeing (12 per cent) =
7. Spend more time with family and friends (12 per cent) =
8. Drink less alcohol (12 per cent) =
9. Stop smoking (9 per cent)
10. Other (1 per cent)

So if the odds are stacked against a person achieving a New Year resolution what can be done to change this?

My advice is simple: DON’T MAKE ONE!!!

If anything, I would use the entire year to make plans and determine what steps are required to achieve the results you want; celebrate the successes along the way as they occur, no matter how minor they may be, and use the coming New Year to look back and reflect and celebrate on what you have managed to achieve.

And if still hitting roadblocks or encountering setbacks along the way to achieving your goals, Hypnotherapy or Resource Therapy might just be the answer you are looking for.


Happy New Year to all. May 2018 be a year of good fortune, continued growth and success.