Why do most New Year's resolutions fail?

People who set resolutions often do not really expect themselves to follow through, and about 25% of them give up by January 7. Most resolutions stay as ideas because there is no plan for actually carrying them out.

How do I turn a New Year's resolution into a real plan?

Take the goal, divide it into smaller items, and organize those items in the order you want to tackle them. The plan acts as an outline that turns vague intent into concrete next steps.

What details should I add to my resolution plan?

Add due dates, priorities, tags, and assignees to each item, so you know what should be done, when it should be done, and who is responsible. These details turn a list into something you can actually stick to.

How do I avoid feeling overwhelmed by a long resolution list?

Apply filter options to focus on just a few tasks that need your immediate attention, instead of staring at the whole list at once. Working from a short, filtered view makes it easier to start and finish things.

Should I change my plan if circumstances shift?

Yes, you can and should adjust the plan as things come up by adding new items or changing existing ones. Flexibility keeps the plan alive while still keeping you focused on what needs to be done.

productivity tips · Jan 5, 2016

Keep Your New Year's Resolutions on the Road

New Year's resolution planning template with goals listed and organized

Last updated: July 11, 2026

TL;DR

Roughly 25% of people abandon their New Year's resolutions by January 7. Sticking with them comes down to three steps: make a plan by breaking goals into smaller items, organize it with due dates, priorities, tags, and assignees, then execute by filtering the list to a few focused tasks. Adjust freely as circumstances change, and the goal stops feeling far off.

Table of content

First, make a plan.
Next, organize the plan.
Then, execute the plan.

New year comes with an opportunity for you to become a more productive, better and happier person by kicking off the resolutions you set to accomplish.

Having said that, people who set resolutions never expect themselves to follow through. In fact, 25% of them give up by January 7. Here’s a tip to help you go from making them, to actually keeping them.

First, make a plan.

How many times have you had ideas, but never had the chance to carry them out in the real world?

What you need is a plan. A plan can be an outline where you’ve taken down ideas, divided them into smaller items and organized them in the order you want.

Breaking a resolution goal into smaller items and organizing them in order

Next, organize the plan.

You now have a plan, which is great. But you may have trouble sticking to it.

The solution is a plan with details like due dates, priorities, tags and assignees, so you’ll know what should be done, when should they be done and who should do them.

Resolution plan with details showing due dates, priorities, tags, and assignees

Then, execute the plan.

Even with a detailed plan, you may have difficulty figuring out what you should do next.

By selecting your own filter options, you can focus on just a few tasks that need your immediate attention.

And, more importantly, DO them like Shia LaBeouf urges you to do!

Filtered resolution task list showing focused view of immediate action items

So basically, make a plan, organize the plan, and carry out the plan. Don’t be afraid to change it if something comes up, because you can always add something in or change something, and still focus on what needs to be done.

Then, whatever goal you’ve set won’t be a far-off thing you’re shooting for!

productivity tips · Jan 5, 2016

Keep Your New Year's Resolutions on the Road

First, make a plan.

Next, organize the plan.

Then, execute the plan.

Crystal Chen Content writer, food lover, and aniholic.

Crystal Chen
Content writer, food lover, and aniholic.