Ariane de Gennaro

As they start the new semester, students across Yale are navigating how to maintain their New Year’s resolutions despite the busyness of being back on campus.

“It’s kind of hard to maintain resolutions,” Jessica Nosike ’27 said. “At the beginning of the year, the holiday season, you still have the time to stay consistent, but then once you get into the real world, there’s less time.” 

Nosike isn’t alone in her sentiments. Last year, Baylor College of Medicine reported that 88 percent of individuals who set resolutions fail to make progress on them, many of whom eventually give up altogether within the first two weeks of January. The occurrence is so common that it’s given rise to what is colloquially known as “Quitter’s Day,” the second Friday of January and the day by which most goal-setters, whether due to willpower or time constraints, are surmised to have given up.

To get to the bottom of the failed-resolution-phenomenon, the News reached out to a number of Yale psychologists and behavioral scientists. Four researchers wrote to the News to provide suggestions as to how people may improve their goal maintenance.

“Psychologically, the beginning of a new year represents a powerful temporal landmark — a point in time that signifies what researchers have called a fresh start moment,” wrote Laurie Santos, a professor of psychology. “To turn New Year’s resolutions into lasting sources of happiness, it’s important to focus not just on the outcome (e.g., get fitter, career success) but also on the process and how those changes align with your deeper values and well-being.” 

Santos is well-versed in the subject of holistic well-being. In addition to teaching the most popular class in Yale’s history, “Psychology and the Good Life,” she serves as director of both the Yale Comparative Cognition Laboratory and the Yale Canine Cognition Lab. Beyond her academic faculties, Santos hosts The Happiness Lab podcast where, as the name suggests, she discusses scientific research on tools to promote happiness.

Of course, building new habits can prove difficult. Santos offered some practical advice for tackling challenges that arise along the way.

“When things don’t go as planned, being kind to yourself and acknowledging that setbacks are normal is key to maintaining motivation,” she wrote. “Research shows that people who practice self-compassion are more resilient and better at maintaining long-term goals because they don’t give up when they encounter obstacles.”

Determination through setbacks can make all the difference in forming lasting habits. However, sustaining initial progress requires a steady approach.

One Yale psychologist noted that consistency, while demanding, can be a relatively intuitive process.

“Only make resolutions you are committed to keeping, and then make a daily routine that includes them so they become second nature. It isn’t easy but it is easier than most people think,” advised John Bargh, a professor of psychology and cognitive science.

Focusing on actions, rather than just outcomes, helps maintain momentum. By embracing the journey of achieving a resolution, individuals can stay engaged, even when progress feels slow.

Finding a deeper sense of meaning in the goals can also make them more motivating and sustainable.

“Too often, we chase goals that even when achieved do not make us happy,” wrote James Floman, an associate research scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. 

Floman studies emotional regulation and well-being in addition to developing mindfulness techniques for educators. These techniques, he noted, can be an effective way to encourage and materialize self-growth.

Even making time for a simple day-to-day activity can be impactful. Defining mindfulness as a focus on the present with “open, curious, nonjudgmental awareness,” Floman explained how it can relate to accomplishing resolutions or other goals in unexpected ways.

“For those who have a consistent mindfulness practice (e.g., taking regular mindful walks, daily meditation or yoga), one of the primary benefits is people begin to notice recurring patterns in their thinking, emotions and behavior,” Floman wrote. “Over time, mindfulness practitioners come to understand both what truly is most important to them versus more peripheral, and specifically how they get in their own way when trying to realize their goals or potential. This means that practicing mindfulness can arm people with richer and more accurate data on what makes them happy and what helps them thrive.” 

All is not lost for those who have found difficulty in cultivating their resolutions to fruition. Mindfulness tactics have the ability to help goal-setters get back on track. 

David Klemanski, assistant professor of psychiatry, weighed in on how individuals can rely on emotional regulation to succeed, even when maintaining an objective proves harder than expected. Among many other titles, Klemanski serves as the director of psychological assessment service at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

“Setbacks are a natural part of any journey, but mindfulness helps us reframe them as opportunities for growth rather than reasons to quit,” he noted. “When frustration arises, mindfulness teaches us to pause and observe our feelings without judgment. This creates space to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively — choosing to adjust our plans or simply rest and try again tomorrow.”

As individuals reflect on their progress, they may realize that challenges can ultimately lead better strategies for the future. For students like Nosike, who aim to invest more effort into friendships, hobbies and reducing screen time, the commitment of maintaining resolutions might not always be smooth amidst classes and extracurriculars. However, it’s through navigating these obstacles, as Yale experts suggest, that one’s values and their potential to thrive become clearer.

Quitter’s Day fell most recently on Jan. 10, 2025.