Every January, I hear the same conversations. Friends, colleagues, parents, and even athletes talk about wanting to feel healthier, eat better, get fitter, have more energy, or finally get into a routine. There’s always a sense of optimism in the first week back after Christmas. People really do want to feel better in themselves.
But by February, most of those good intentions have quietly faded. The research generally shows that only a tiny minority keep their resolutions going for the whole year, and a large chunk fall away within a few weeks.
Here are just a few staggering facts I was able to dig out:
About 80% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by February
Only 8% of people who make resolutions maintain them for the full year (i.e. by
December)
Around 23% quit their New Year’s goal within the first week; ~43% stop by the end of
January.
For many who make resolutions, only ~9% achieve their goals long-term.
Oftentimes, this isn’t because people lack discipline. It’s usually because of the way we approach change.
When I look at the athletes I work with, something becomes very clear. Sure, they might have specific foods or supplements around training or competition, but there is nothing magical about how they eat day-to-day.
What sets them apart is their ability to repeat the basics over long periods of time. Eating well is part of who they are, not something they do only when motivation is high. Their environment supports their goals, and their choices reflect their identity. That is what creates consistency, not willpower.
And I think there is a lot the rest of us can learn from this.
This article is not about becoming an elite athlete. It’s about taking principles that work at the highest level and applying them to everyday life in a way that feels realistic, sustainable and enjoyable.
1. Why resolutions often fall apart
Most New Year resolutions fall into the same handful of categories: eating better, exercising more, losing weight, improving mental health, spending less, or socialising more. These are all great goals, but the way we set them usually makes them fragile.
Here are the patterns I see the most:
The goals are too big
Once people decide to “get healthy”, they often swing too far. No sugar, no snacks, gym six days a week, perfect meals, no takeaways. It looks great in week one when motivation is high, but real life catches up quickly.
The goals are too vague
“Eat healthier” or “exercise more” gives you nothing to anchor to. You need specific behaviours.
All or nothing thinking
One day off plan becomes a failure. So the restart gets pushed to Monday. Then the next Monday. And then the next.
The environment works against the goal
Cupboards full of old snacks, busy days with no preparation, long gaps between meals. Even the most determined person will struggle if everything around them pulls in the opposite direction.
Identity is rarely a part of the conversation
This is a big one. People set goals based on what they want to achieve, rather than who they want to become. That is a major reason the change does not stick.
2. What champions do differently
When I think about the elite athletes I support, whether that’s world champion fighters or Formula 1 drivers, the consistent theme is not perfection. It’s identity.
They see themselves as people who look after their health. People who fuel and nourish properly. People who are prepared. People who repeat the fundamentals. Even on an average day, they still hit their minimum standards.
Their routines are built around:
✓ doing simple things well
✓ doing them most days
✓ making good choices the easy choices
✓ bouncing back quickly after a less structured day
✓ having a few anchors they rarely deviate from
One thing I always find fascinating is that their diets are often much simpler than people imagine. It’s not a list of secret foods. It’s oats, fruit, yoghurt, balanced meals, whole-food snacks, water, sleep, structure, and consistency.
This is the model I encourage everyday people to borrow from. Not the training volume or the sacrifice, but the mindset. It’s a shift from “I want to lose weight” to “I am someone who looks after my health”. From “I need to stop snacking” to “I choose snacks that help me feel better”.
Small mindset shifts like that change behaviours in a way goals alone rarely do.
3. A different approach to the New Year
Motivation comes and goes, even for elite athletes. What actually keeps people consistent is having routines that make the healthier choice the simpler, more automatic one.Here are a few principles that tend to work.
Start with identity, not goals
Ask yourself:
What kind of person do I want to be this year?
Someone who eats in a way that supports my energy
Someone who makes time to get outside most days
Someone who snacks in a way that helps me feel better
Someone who pays attention to their gut and how food makes me feel
Someone who ends the day a little calmer instead of rushing into bed, or being on my
phone until I doze off
Identity creates consistency. Once you see yourself as that person, the behaviours follow more naturally.
Build tiny, daily actions
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is trying to overhaul everything at once. A world champion didn’t become a world champion overnight. It took years of showing up, doing the small things well, and repeating them. The same applies here. Aim for changes you can genuinely see yourself still doing in March.
Examples:
5 minutes of fresh air and morning sunlight
Water as your first drink of the day (ideally, before caffeine)
One high fibre snack in the afternoon
Taking five minutes between meetings to move or breathe rather than scrolling
A short walk after lunch to support energy and digestion
Prepping breakfast the evening before
Small actions compound faster than dramatic New Year overhauls.
Use habit stacking
Pair a new action with something you already do.
✓ Water next to your toothbrush
✓ Fruit bowl visible on the counter
✓ Teffies kept with your keys so they go in your bag automatically
✓ Five minute stretch while the kettle boils. This is how you turn good intentions into automatic behaviours.
Design your environment
Elite athletes are very good at this. Their environment nudges them in the right direction.
For everyday life:
✓ put healthier snacks where they are easy to reach
✓ keep your water bottle on your desk
✓ make your default lunch a balanced, nourishing one
✓ avoid long gaps between meals
✓ keep fibre-rich options visible
Things get easier when your environment nudges you in the right direction.
4. The underrated role of fibre and snacking
It’s almost impossible to talk about everyday health without talking about fibre. Most adults fall well below the recommended intake, and it affects everything from energy and concentration to gut health and fullness.
One of the easiest ways to feel better in January is to upgrade one or two snacks. Not remove snacks, but choose ones that support your energy rather than send it on a rollercoaster.
Examples that work well:
✓ a banana or apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter
✓ a boiled egg with a piece of fruit
✓ wholegrain toast with cottage cheese and berries
✓ a small pot of overnight oats
✓ a handful of roasted chickpeas or mixed seeds
✓ Teffies, which are whole-food and high in fibre, so they keep energy steadier between meals
You don’t need perfection. You just need a few routines you can stick to, even on busy days.
5. Practical pillars for a better year
Here are some foundations that actually last:
Eat more, earlier
Most people eat very little in the morning and too much at night. Shifting even a small amount of food earlier improves energy, appetite, and concentration.
Think steadiness, not restriction
Focus on stable energy through the day rather than eliminating foods entirely. Stability creates better decision making.
Upgrade one snack
If you improve one snack per day, that is 365 better choices in a year.
Prep for busy days
Healthy choices collapse when days get hectic. A bit of preparation solves most of that.
Expect imperfect weeks
Everyone has them, athletes included. The key is returning to your core habits, not restarting from zero.
6. A better way to think about change
The people who make progress in January are not the ones who overhaul everything. They are the ones who build small, realistic habits that survive even the most chaotic weeks.
Champions do the basics well. Everyday people can too.
You do not need a new personality for the New Year. You just need a structure that works with your life, an environment that supports your intentions, and routines you can genuinely see yourself sticking to.
If you can do that, the results take care of themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Why do most New Year resolutions fade so quickly?
Most resolutions rely on motivation, and motivation naturally dips after the first burst of January enthusiasm. When a goal isn’t linked to identity, environment, or clear daily actions, it becomes hard to maintain once life gets busy. The people who succeed tend to build small routines they can repeat without thinking.
Do resolutions actually work for anyone?
Yes. Research shows that people who set resolutions are still more likely to make positive changes than those who don’t. The key is how you structure the goal. If it’s vague or extreme, it won’t last. If it’s specific, realistic, and tied to who you want to become, you have a far better chance.
What’s the single most important thing to focus on in January?
Start small. It’s much better to build a few habits you can stick to in March than to overhaul your entire lifestyle for two weeks. Drinking water first thing, eating a proper breakfast, preparing a better snack, or adding a short walk after lunch are all great starting points.
How do elite athletes stay consistent all year?
They don’t rely on motivation. They rely on identity and structure. Being someone who eats well, hydrates, sleeps properly, and prepares is part of who they are. Their routines are built around simple behaviours repeated most days of the year. Everyday people can use the same approach.
I always fall off the wagon. How do I get back on track?
Drop the all-or-nothing mindset. One “off day” doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Return to your basic habits the next day. Consistency comes from getting back on track quickly, not from being perfect.
What are some easy habits that genuinely make a difference?
Water with breakfast, a few minutes of morning daylight, a balanced lunch, keeping a high quality snack in your bag, eating more fibre earlier in the day, and setting up your evening routine so you sleep better. They’re small, but they compound quickly.
How important is fibre, really?
Very. Fibre helps with fullness, gut health, digestion, blood sugar control, and more stable energy. Most adults fall short of the recommended intake. Adding fruit, oats, beans, nuts, veg, or a high-fibre snack like Teffies can make a noticeable difference in how you feel.
What if I want to snack less this year?
Instead of trying to avoid snacks altogether, focus on choosing ones that help rather than hinder. Something with fibre and/or protein will hold your energy better than something sugary that gives you a quick high and an even quicker crash. Upgrading one snack a day is one of the simplest wins you can make.