At the start of a new year, month, week or even day, many people set goals they hope to achieve within a certain period. Yet only a small proportion manage to stick to those commitments consistently.
Common goals include exercising, studying, praying, saving money, cutting unnecessary activities or making a fresh start in life.
For many, the first days are marked by enthusiasm and determination. The difficulty comes with maintaining the routine long enough for it to become a lasting habit. This raises a familiar question: why do people who know what they want and have a plan for achieving it still struggle to follow through?
Psychologists and behavioural researchers say the problem is often not simply a lack of motivation. In many cases, the way goals are defined and planned, combined with everyday circumstances and human behaviour, makes them difficult to sustain.
Various studies suggest that although people often begin their commitments with strong motivation, many eventually abandon them.
Research cited by Pew Research Center and Drive Research indicates that nearly 80% of people are confident they will keep the resolutions they set, although actual follow-through is considerably lower.
Some figures cited in research show that 23% of people abandon their resolutions within the first week, while 43% have stopped following them by the end of the first month.
A study by John Norcross and Dominic Vangarelli followed 200 people who had resolved to change a behaviour. It found that 77% maintained their commitment after the first week, but only 19% were still doing so two years later.
Psychology Today has also cited research suggesting that 92% of people fail to achieve the goals they set, leaving 8% who succeed.
Why people abandon their goals
Psychologists say one of the main reasons people fail to fulfil their commitments is not necessarily weak willpower, but the way the goals themselves are designed.
Psychologist and counsellor Dr Larry F. Waldman explains that vague goals such as “I want to be healthy” or “I want to get better” are difficult to act on because they do not clearly define what needs to be done.
A person may know the outcome they want but lack a practical roadmap for getting there. Clear, specific and measurable actions can make a goal easier to pursue.
Waldman also points to the desire for immediate gratification as another obstacle. People often expect to see results quickly, and when those results fail to appear, they can become discouraged and give up.
Another problem is putting too much emphasis on long-term results rather than the small actions that can be taken each day.
Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people who set process-based goals, focusing on the actions they need to take, had a 46% greater likelihood of achieving their goals than those who focused primarily on long-term outcomes.
Accountability can help
A further challenge is failing to monitor progress or having someone who can provide reminders and encouragement.
Research cited by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) found that telling another person about a goal and having that person provide reminders can increase the likelihood of achieving it to 65%.
The research further indicates that when people set aside a specific time to meet and discuss their progress, the likelihood of following through can rise to 95%.
Having someone to check on progress can therefore provide an additional layer of accountability when motivation begins to fade.
The planning fallacy
Another common obstacle is the tendency to underestimate how difficult or time-consuming a task will be, a phenomenon known as the “planning fallacy”.
The concept is associated with the work of psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, who found that people tend to underestimate the time, resources and effort required to complete tasks while failing to adequately account for potential obstacles.
As a result, people can create plans that appear realistic when they are made but prove difficult to maintain once everyday challenges arise.
Psychologists also point to existing habits, daily responsibilities, emotions and stress as factors that can affect a person’s ability to stick to a plan.
Starting small can make goals easier to maintain
One approach recommended for people struggling to achieve their goals is to break large ambitions into smaller, manageable actions.
Instead of deciding to study for two hours every day, for example, someone could start by reading one page a day. The smaller task can feel more achievable and may make it easier to establish consistency.
People can also share their goals with a trusted friend, mentor or counsellor and ask that person to check on their progress. Regular reminders and encouragement can help when motivation begins to decline.
The challenge, therefore, is often not deciding what to achieve but turning that decision into a routine that can survive everyday distractions, setbacks and changing levels of motivation.
A clear goal, manageable steps, realistic expectations and regular accountability can help bridge the gap between what people intend to do and what they actually do.
