Making 2026 New Year's Resolutions That Will Work

It’s that time of year again. The gym parking lots are full, the kale is flying off the grocery shelves, and millions of us are grimly determined that this is the year we finally become the pristine, optimized versions of ourselves we’ve always imagined.

But if history is any indicator, by February, the gym will be quiet, the kale will wilt, and we’ll be back to our old ways, nursing a familiar sense of guilt.

Why does this happen? It’s not because you’re lazy. It’s not because you lack willpower. It’s because the standard way we design New Year’s resolutions is fundamentally broken. We focus on the what (the outcome) rather than the who (the identity) and the how (the system).

If you want 2026 to be different, you need to stop making "resolutions" and start designing behaviors. Here is how to do it, using the combined wisdom of habit experts James Clear and B.J. Fogg.

The Trap of Outcome-Based Goals

Most resolutions look like this:

• "I want to lose 20 pounds."
• "I want to write a book."
• "I want to save $5,000."

These are outcome-based goals. They require you to white-knuckle your way toward a finish line using willpower. The problem is that willpower is a finite resource—like a battery, it drains throughout the day. When you are tired, stressed, or hungry, your willpower hits zero, and the goal collapses.

To make resolutions doable, we need to shift our focus from what we want to achieve to who we want to become.

Step 1: The Identity Shift (James Clear)

In his seminal book Atomic Habits, James Clear argues that true behavior change is identity change.

"The goal is not to read a book," Clear writes. "The goal is to become a reader. The goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner."

When you try to change your behavior without changing your identity, you are fighting against yourself. If you say, "I’m trying to quit smoking," you still identify as a smoker who is making a sacrifice. If you say, "I’m not a smoker," you have shifted your identity.

How to Reframe:

Instead of setting a goal to "run a 5k," decide to "be the kind of person who never misses a workout." When faced with a decision (to run or to sleep in), ask yourself: "What would a runner do?"

Step 2: Make It Tiny (B.J. Fogg)

Once you have the identity, you need to prove it to yourself with small wins. This is where Stanford researcher B.J. Fogg comes in. In his book Tiny Habits, he explains that big leaps in behavior are rare and hard to sustain.

If your resolution is "work out for an hour every day," you are setting yourself up for failure on your busiest days.

Fogg suggests the M.A.P. model: Behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt come together. Since motivation is fickle (it comes and goes), you must make the behavior incredibly easy to do (increase Ability).

The Formula:

"After I [Current Habit], I will [Tiny New Habit]."

Make the new habit so small it feels ridiculous. Not "do 50 pushups," but "do one wall pushup." Not "floss all my teeth," but "floss one tooth."

A Concrete Example: The "Healthy Eater" Reframe

Let’s look at how to transform a typical, brittle resolution into a resilient, identity-driven system.

The Old Way (Willpower Heavy):

• Resolution: "I am going to stop eating junk food and lose 15 pounds by March."
• The Problem: This relies on restriction and motivation. The moment you have a bad day at work, the pizza looks irresistible, and eating it feels like a moral failure.

The New Way (Identity + Tiny Habits):

• Identity Goal: "I am a person who nourishes my body." (Notice: no number on the scale, just a statement of who you are).
• The Tiny Habit: "After I walk into the kitchen for a snack, I will drink one glass of water."

Why this works:

1. It reinforces identity: Every time you drink that water, you cast a vote for the person who cares about their health. You prove to yourself, "I am a healthy person."
2. It is too small to fail: Even on your worst day, you can drink a glass of water.
3. It scales naturally: Once the habit of drinking water is established, you might naturally grab an apple next. But the requirement is just the water.

The Secret to 2026

The secret to a "doable" resolution is that it shouldn't feel like a revolution. It should feel like an evolution.

Stop trying to change your entire life on January 1st. Instead, ask yourself: "Who do I want to be?" and then ask, "What is the smallest, easiest thing I can do today to prove that identity to myself?"

Do that small thing. Then do it again tomorrow. That is how you build a year—and a life—of peace, kindness, and joy.