New Years Resolution Review
New Year’s Resolution Review: How Are You Doing (and What’s the Plan Now)?
You came into this year like a woman with a vision board, a color-coded calendar, and primary character energy. You made plans, set goals, and told yourself, “This is the year.”
And then… life started lifing.
If you’re not exactly crushing your New Year’s resolutions right now, remember: You’re human, not broken, and definitely not alone. Most people struggle to stick with their resolutions early in the year, nearly a quarter quit in the first week, and 43% by the end of January (Fisher College of Business). Key takeaway: Struggling is typical; you’re not failing alone.
But here’s the plot twist: falling off track doesn’t mean you failed. It means your system needs an upgrade.
Key takeaway: Results come from strategy, not just intentions, which you already know as a successful woman.
Let’s take that energy and channel it: time for a Resolution Review, the CEO’s approach to your life.
Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Stick (and Why That’s Not a Character Flaw)
The main reason most resolutions fail: vague or poorly-defined goals (e.g., “get healthy” isn’t a specific plan).
- The plan is too intense (January, you act like March-you don’t need sleep).
- The tracking is nonexistent (if it’s not measured, it’s guessed).
- The environment doesn’t support it (you can’t “discipline” your way out of a sabotaging setup).
- You’re relying on motivation (she is inconsistent and emotionally unavailable).
Resolutions often overlook reality: travel, deadlines, family needs, energy levels, and the fact that you have a complete job and life.
Key takeaway: Most resolutions center on health, finances, and well-being—these are common and important themes.
Takeaway: You’re not behind. You’re joining many people with similar goals, but now you’re going to be smarter about it.
The New Year’s Resolution Review (Successful Women Edition)
Think of this as a quarterly review of your goals and habits. Key principle: Use honest data, not shame.
Step 1: Evaluate Your Behavior (Not Your “Willpower”)
Start with what you actually did, not what you meant to do.
Ask yourself:
What am I doing that supports my resolution?
Examples:
- If your goal is weight loss or strength, are you meal planning? Getting protein? Lifting? Walking?
- If your goal is to save money, are you tracking spending? Automating savings?
- If your goal is career growth, are you focusing on skill development, visibility, or networking?
What am I doing that undermines my resolution?
No judgment—just honesty.
- Skipping breakfast → overeating at 3 PM
- “Just browsing” online → losing an hour.
- Avoiding awkward conversations → staying in draining situations
Where am I making decisions with my goal in mind?
This matters because identity-based choices stick:
- “I’m someone who keeps promises to myself.”
- “I’m someone who follows a plan even when it’s not exciting.”
How often am I planning my day around this goal?
If the answer is “never,” your resolution is basically living in the junk drawer of your life.
Action step: Schedule your goal on your calendar—treat it like a client meeting for accountability.
Step 2: Evaluate Your Results (Cue the KPI Glow-Up)
Now zoom out:
- What progress have you made?
- What measurable outcomes can you see?
- Are you 5% closer? 20% closer? Or accidentally sprinting in the wrong direction?
If your resolution is measurable, quantify it:
- Pounds/inches, workouts/week, step average
- Dollars saved, debt paid, net worth change
- Certifications completed, pitches made, content shipped
- Days alcohol-free, therapy sessions attended, hours slept.
Then ask:
If I keep this pace, when will I hit the goal?
Takeaway: This self-check gives you instant clarity. You’ll see if you need more consistency, a better plan, a new timeline, or a different goal.
- a better plan
- a more realistic timeline
- a different goal
Remember: Many people abandon resolutions because their goals are unrealistic or set too quickly (Baylor College of Medicine). Key takeaway: Don’t just try harder, rebuild your system to fit your reality.
Step 3: Be Brutally Honest (But Make It Productive)
If you’re struggling, ask:
- When did I start drifting?
- What triggered the drift? (Stress? Travel? Overwhelm? Perfectionism?)
- What excuse keeps repeating?
- What’s the real barrier: time, energy, knowledge, emotional bandwidth, or support?
If you’re doing well, ask:
- What’s working?
- What would make this even easier?
- What’s the next level of the goal?
And the spicy question:
Do I even still want this goal?
You’re allowed to outgrow goals. You’re not required to keep a resolution just because it’s January and you made a passionate speech about it.
Sometimes the most powerful move is saying:
“That goal was cute. I’m doing something smarter now.”
The “Reset” Framework: Review → Reset → Recommit
Takeaway: When you’re off track, focus on resetting your system instead of self-blame.
Step 4: Make a New Plan (Because the Old One Clearly Needed a Redesign)
Key point: If you’re behind, stop pep-talking and start planning for your real-life circumstances.
A strong plan includes:
- One clear target (not 12 vague hopes)
- Weekly minimums (your “bare minimum” standard)
- Milestones (so you can track progress)
- A tracking method (simple, not fancy)
- A recovery plan (what you do when you fall off)
The successful woman upgrade: set a “minimum baseline.”
Examples:
- Fitness: “2 strength sessions + 7k steps/day baseline”
- Money: “Auto-transfer $X weekly + no-spend Sundays”
- Career: “One visibility action per week (pitch, post, speak, apply).”
Baseline goals keep you moving even when your life gets chaotic, which, spoiler: it will.
Next up: anticipate what might throw you off. Predicting obstacles is key: they’re patterns, not surprises.
Let’s call it: you already know what takes you out.
Common obstacle categories:
- Time compression (meetings, kids, travel, deadlines)
- Energy crashes (sleep, hormones, burnout)
- Emotional eating/spending/scrolling
- All-or-nothing thinking (“I missed Monday, so the week is ruined”)
- Lack of support (or unsupportive people)
Now write “If/Then” plans:
- If I work late, then I do a 12-minute workout instead of skipping.
- If I want to impulse-spend, I wait 24 hours and move $10 into savings.
- If I miss a day, then I restart the next day—no dramatic monologue.
Takeaway: Obstacles lose their power when you already know how you’ll respond to them.
After obstacles, gather what you’ll need to succeed. Big goals deserve real support, not a solo effort.
Ask:
- How much time do I actually need daily/weekly?
- What knowledge or skills am I missing?
- Who can help me? (trainer, coach, therapist, mentor, accountability buddy)
- What environment upgrades do I need?
- What attitudes do I need to practice? (patience, resilience, consistency, self-trust)
Also, successful women often try to be “low maintenance” about their own goals.
Meanwhile, they will assemble a cross-functional tiger team to launch a project at work.
Be loyal to yourself.
To keep your momentum, make reviewing a habit. Regular check-ins prevent resolutions from becoming wishes.
Main takeaway: Reviewing your resolution regularly transforms it from a wish into a real goal.
Try one of these rhythms:
- Daily (3 minutes): “What’s one action today?”
- Weekly (20 minutes): review wins, adjust plan, schedule the following week
- Monthly (45 minutes): check metrics, reset milestones, identify obstacles
- Quarterly (2 hours): big picture review, refine goals, recommit
Pew Research has noted that a significant number of people report dropping resolutions early in the year (for example, one survey found that 13% hadn’t kept any of them for nearly a month). (Pew Research Center)
Key insight: Building a regular review habit puts you ahead of most people who give up on resolutions early.
Step 8: Don’t Give Up (Adjust Like a Strategist, Not a Drama Queen)
If your goal is remotely reasonable, consistency wins.
Not perfection. Not intensity. Consistency.
And yes, this is where I lovingly remind you:
Successful people don’t quit; they recalibrate.
A 30-Minute Resolution Review Meeting (Put This on Your Calendar)
Here’s a simple “meeting agenda” you can run every week:
1) Wins (5 minutes)
- What worked?
- What did I do right?
- What progress has been made?
2) Data (5 minutes)
- What got tracked?
- What moved? What stalled?
3) Obstacles (10 minutes)
- What got in the way?
- What pattern do I see?
- What’s my If/Then plan for next time?
4) Next Week Plan (10 minutes)
- Pick 1–3 priorities
- Schedule them
- Decide on the minimum baseline.
That’s it. Now, schedule your Resolution Review meeting this week and commit to one change for real progress.
Common Resolution Resets for Successful Women
If your resolution is health/weight loss
Stop trying to “go hard.” Start trying to “go consistent.”
Reset ideas:
- Build meals around protein + fiber.
- Strength train 2–4x/week
- Walk daily (meetings can be walking meetings)
- Sleep like it’s a business strategy (because it is)
If your resolution is saving money or building wealth
Make it automatic and boring (boring = sustainable).
Reset ideas:
- Automate savings/investing on payday
- Track spending weekly (10 minutes)
- Choose one “spending category” to tighten first.
- Replace guilt with a plan.
If your resolution is career growth
Visibility is your friend. Silence is not a strategy.
Reset ideas:
- One “courage action” weekly (pitch, apply, speak, publish)
- Build a skills sprint (4 weeks on one skill)
- Track output, not just effort
If your resolution is mental health/self-care
Treat it as maintenance, not a reward.
Reset ideas:
- Therapy/coaching check-ins
- Boundaries script (and actually use it)
- “Soft habits” that prevent burnout (gentle consistency over punishment)
There’s even a growing cultural push toward gentler, sustainable “soft” approaches to January goals, rather than extreme overhauls, because harsh all-or-nothing plans tend to backfire. (Marie Claire UK)
The Real Secret: Your Resolution Doesn’t Need More Motivation, It Needs More Alignment
Your goal should match:
- Your season of life
- Your capacity
- Your values
- Your actual calendar
If it doesn’t, you’ll keep “failing” a plan that was never designed for you in the first place.
You’re Not Behind, You’re Restarting With Better Information
It’s common for people to drift on resolutions early in the year, but that doesn’t mean your year is “ruined.” Your next decision matters more than your last month.
Every day is a valid reset day.
So give yourself the privilege of a reboot:
- Review what happened
- Reset the plan
- Recommit with precision
And then make this year yours.
FAQs
1) When should I review my New Year’s resolutions?
Ideally, weekly for momentum and monthly for a deeper reset. A quick review helps you catch drift early and adjust before you abandon the goal.
2) Why do New Year’s resolutions fail so often?
Most fail because goals are vague, plans are too intense, tracking is inconsistent, and people rely on motivation instead of systems. Research summaries frequently point to early drop-off patterns in January. (Fisher College of Business)
3) Is it too late to restart my resolutions in February (or later)?
No. Any day is a reset day. Restarting with a better plan is smarter than waiting for “next year.”
4) How can successful women stay consistent with their goals?
Use baseline minimums, schedule goal actions like meetings, track weekly KPIs, and build obstacle plans (If/Then strategies). Consistency beats intensity.
5) What’s the best way to track New Year’s resolution progress?
Pick a straightforward method: a notes app, checklist, habit tracker, calendar blocks, or weekly KPI list. The best tracking method is the one you’ll actually use.
6) What if I don’t want my original resolution anymore?
That’s allowed. If the goal no longer fits your values or season, replace it with something more aligned. Stubbornness isn’t a virtue when the goal is outdated.
7) How do I get back on track after I fall off?
Run a quick review: what happened, what triggered it, what changes will prevent it next time, and what’s your minimum baseline for the week. Then restart immediately, no guilt spiral.
8) What are the most common New Year’s resolutions?
Health, finances, and mental well-being are commonly at the top of lists in surveys and polls. (The Washington Post)
