Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick – For Real This Time

By Amy Sidwell, PhD, MCHES

Every January, millions of us set ambitious resolutions: eat healthier, exercise more, stress less. And every February, most resolutions fade into the background of busy schedules and old habits. But the problem isn’t a lack of willpower—it's that most resolutions aren’t designed with human behavior in mind.

Health behavior theory gives us a clearer path. Change is not an event; it’s a process. The Transtheoretical Model, for example, shows that people move through stages—preparation, action, maintenance—and often cycle back as life shifts. A successful resolution doesn’t demand perfection; it embraces iteration. Each attempt provides information: What worked? What didn’t? What needs adjustment? Approaching change like a series of small experiments—rather than a single heroic effort—dramatically increases the likelihood you’ll stick with it.

Similarly, Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes self-efficacy—the belief that you can do what you set out to do. Confidence grows through mastery of small, achievable steps. That means resolutions shouldn’t be sweeping declarations like “I’m cutting out sugar forever” but strategic, adaptable commitments such as “I’ll swap dessert for fruit twice a week and reassess in two weeks.” Small wins create momentum.

An iterative mindset is the antidote to the “all or nothing” trap. Instead of abandoning your goal when you slip, you view setbacks as data. You revise the plan and keep moving. Progress becomes not only possible but inevitable.

This is where working with a health coach becomes invaluable. A health coach understands the behavioral science behind change and helps translate it into personalized, realistic action plans. Coaches provide structure, accountability, and expert guidance—three elements proven to improve goal attainment. They help you identify barriers, rewrite goals, and celebrate the incremental successes that fuel long-term change.

More importantly, a skilled health coach supports the mindset shift required for sustained transformation. Rather than judging missteps, they help you analyze them with curiosity. They teach you how to adjust strategies so progress keeps moving forward, even when motivation fluctuates.

Hiring a health coach isn’t about outsourcing your willpower—it’s about increasing the probability of success by aligning your goals with evidence-based behavior change strategies. If this is the year you want your resolutions to last longer than a few weeks, consider a different approach: smaller goals, continuous revision, and expert support.

Your health goals don’t need a new year. They need a new strategy—one rooted in science, iteration, and the belief that meaningful change is absolutely within reach.

For more information, contact LiveWell Health Specialists, LLC, at (412) 465-0224, info@livewellhealthspecialists.com, or visit https://livewellhealthspecialists.com/