How to Set A New Year Resolution You’ll Actually Keep in 2026
Ever set a goal, hit it, and notice how the glow of achieving something amazing evaporates almost immediately?
Like, shockingly fast?
Think of a time you worked so hard — pushed through doubt, showed up when it was inconvenient, uncomfortable, or downright painful — and finally succeeded. How long did that euphoric “I’m SO HAPPY!!!” feeling actually last?
A minute?
An hour?
A weekend if the universe was feeling generous?
And then — before you can microwave your coffee for the fourth time — the self-talk creeps in:
Could’ve done better.
Should’ve been faster.
Didn’t feel how I imagined.
Was that even enough?
Your brain starts picking apart your joy like it’s a home renovation project, and suddenly, your huge win?
Kinda tiny.
🙋🏼♀️ Been there.
💝 Psst… there’s something delicious waiting in the P.S. — yes, I’m bribing you to keep reading, and your future self fully approves. 😉
✧ The Mount Washington Glow That Faded in Four Hours ✧
After summiting Mount Washington — climbing 4,000 feet on my bike into the sky, legs shaking, lungs questioning all my life choices — the afterglow lasted maybe… four hours?
By dinner, my sparkle was slipping.
Too slow.
Too many stops.
Forty minutes longer than my “ideal.”
Nearly last place. 🙃
Never mind that I climbed one of the steepest mountains in the world.
Never mind that only four women my age said yes to this adventure.
Never mind my daughters texting:
“POP OFF QUEEN! A WIN IS A WIN!!” 🤭
Nope.
My brain did what human brains do:
It moved the goalpost.
It minimized the win.
It stole the joy.
This exact brain pattern — the ‘move on, critique, what’s next?’ spiral — is why most New Year resolutions fall apart by February. Your brain loses the motivation fuel. 💨😮💨
If you’ve ever set a resolution with full confidence, only to ghost it faster than your memory on the way to the kitchen… you are not alone and it is not your fault.
Let’s crack the code.
✦ Why Most New Year Resolutions Fail (And It’s Not Your Fault)
Resolutions rely on willpower, and willpower burns out fast.
Especially in midlife, when your:
🧺 Responsibilities never end
🤦🏽♀️ Emotional load is unbelievably heavy
😵💫 Nervous system is working overtime
🙈 Hormones are playing hide-and-seek
😏 Energy has opinions (and she’s not shy)
And biologically, your brain is programmed to:
👀 Scan for danger
🔎 Spot problems
🛠️ Predict what needs fixing
💨 Move on quickly from victories
So even when you muster the willpower and finally hit your goal — like summiting a mountain — the joy fades remarkably fast.
And once the joy slips away, your motivation drops right with it — which is why resolutions fall apart… long before the results ever show up.
Which means:
Success doesn’t create lasting motivation.
Celebration does. 🎉
Read that again.
And then let’s talk about the secret most people don’t know.
✦ The Secret To New Year’s Resolutions That Actually Stick
If you want a resolution that doesn’t fizzle out by February — one that feels good while you’re working toward it and after you achieve it — there’s a single essential ingredient:
CELEBRATION. 🥳
Not pushing harder.
Not pressure.
Not punishment.
Not even a color-coded plan.
(I’m talking to you DETAIL Mama!)
Celebration is what fuels you forward.
Here’s the science:
Every time you acknowledge your progress — even the teensiest, tiniest win — your brain releases dopamine, the motivation chemical.
Dopamine = “I like this feeling… let’s do more.” 🙌
Which means celebrating your progress:
💪🏾 Builds consistency
🤸🏿♀️ Helps your brain notice what’s working
🛼 Keeps momentum going through life’s ups and downs
☺️ Makes achieving goals enjoyable
This is why you feel hit by a motivation avalanche after celebrating one tiny win… and why beating yourself up makes you want to hide under a blanket. 😶🌫️
Your soul wants to be lifted into growth — not barked at, boot-camped, or whipped into shape. (Hi. We’re not in our 30s anymore.😅)
✦ The New Year New You Ta-Done List (A Miracle In 3 Minutes)
Instead of falling asleep thinking about everything you didn’t do and waking up exhausted…
Try this instead:
Take 3 minutes to write down everything you did do.
Everything counts:
“Today I made coffee.”
“Today I admired a hummingbird.”
“Today I told the truth.”
“Today I showed up, even when I felt small.”
“Today I listened with compassion.”
“Today I made a tedious task fun.”
“Today I prioritized my needs for once.”
“Today I let the dishes sit till morning and enjoyed my evening.”
Big, small, silly, serious — it ALL belongs.
This Ta-Done List shifts:
😣 pressure → peace 💛
🙃 not enough → I’m doing great ⭐️
😵💫 overwhelm → clarity ☀️
When you witness your own strength — even in tiny ways — your motivation returns.
Your heart softens.
Your clarity rises.
And your old to-do list?
Suddenly looks totally doable. 😌
😴 Power Move: Do your Ta-Done list in bed — even in your head. It’s the fastest path to falling asleep with a smile.
When I think back to climbing that mountain, the truth is… the thing that got me to the top wasn’t willpower. If I had relied on willpower alone, I would’ve peeled off the road halfway up and called myself an Uber. 😰
What carried me upward — literally — was something much quieter: noticing each tiny stretch of progress, listening to my breath, celebrating every switchback, and letting my body decide what came next instead of bullying her into it. 🥹
You don’t become the woman who reaches her goal by forcing yourself up the mountain. You become her by walking in a way that makes you want to keep going. ☺️✨
If you want to feel more ease, clarity, “I can do this,” in 2026 — your next step is waiting for you in the P.S. — your future self is already smiling. 🤭)
xo,
P.S. ✨ Skip the resolutions. ✨ Your soul has a better plan.
Woohoooooo!!!!! The Easy Button Masterclass is officially READY TO WATCH — and it’s FREE! 🎉🎉🎉
If you’ve ever wished you could start a new year without the pressure cooker of resolutions, reinvention, color-coded planners, or pretending you’re fine when you’re actually one plot twist away from screaming into a pillow…
THIS. IS. FOR. YOU.
