Do You Need New Year’s Resolutions in 2026?

By: Camden Baucke MS LLP

2026 is almost here and so is the season of New Year’s resolutions.

These goals are often associated with lofty personal expectations that fizzle out over the course of a few weeks – some last only days or hours!

New Year’s resolutions are so inherently flawed they’ve become a common analogy for failed attempts.

But why do we keep doing it? Why constantly repeat a process that doesn’t pan out?

As I’ve posted about before, new year’s resolutions are often trying to change yourself by changing your habits. Essentially, it’s a checklist to reinventing yourself.

As a therapist, I’m all for improving habits and developing healthy behaviors – but only for the sake of what it gives back to you.

If the improvement of your life experience isn’t at the center of your new year’s resolutions, what is?

What do you want to change? Why? and how do you plan to make it happen?

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What’s Your Target?

New year’s resolutions are essentially goals, and goals depend on change. What do you want to change?

Picking what you want to change is a crucial decision, because it’s the difference between choosing something achievable and something immovable.

For example, if you want to change a simple behavior, that’s great! There are plenty of tried and true methods for doing so. However, what does a simple change in habit lead to?

Why do you want your habits to change? What will they change once you’ve achieved your goal?

Are your habit changes aimed at improving your health? Do they provide something in return? Fulfillment, fun, health, or ease? If not, then why are you choosing that new year’s resolution?

Do your resolutions end in someone else’s life being easier? Would a loved one benefit from your changed habits? It could be helpful to control anger and anxiety to not lash out at your family. On the other hand, it’s not great to shape your yearly goals around appeasing others and making your resolutions for purely someone else’s gain.

Your target might not be just a habit, but your whole self. You might try to shape your habits to become a different person – someone more “attractive, respectable, or interesting“.

If you’re going to pick a resolution, you need to think about what your target is. The target isn’t completing your goal, but what that goal is meant to change.

If you have new year’s resolutions with unhealthy targets – to appease others or to become a different person, you’re unfortunately not alone. New year’s resolutions tainted with toxic productivity and vanity is a symptom of our time.

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The New – New Year’s Tradition

The issue with modern American new year’s resolutions is the idea of masochistic productivity.

It’s not that something is inherently wrong with new year’s resolutions. New year’s resolutions have been established all over the world in a blend of multicultural traditions for thousands of years.

The ancient Babylonians would pray to their god(s) during the festival of the new year to repay debts and make amends with others roughly 4,000 years ago.

China’s new year celebrations also go back 4,000 years with traditions for restoring harmony with self and others.

Nowruz, Persian new year, has traditions that extend back 3,000 years, focused on the symbolism of seasons and renewing oneself like the rebirth of spring.

Romans, in the time of Julius Caesar, made sacrifices to gods and promised good behavior in the next year.

Japanese communities have celebrated the new year since the 8th century BCE with serene intentions for discipline and wellbeing in the new year.

New year’s resolutions are not inherently American, nor are they new at all.

Like many things, new year’s resolutions started out as a multicultural and historical way to achieve harmony and renew oneself – but it has been co-opted by a society forged from the single value of output.

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Do You Need New Year Resolutions?

Are you seeking traditional new year’s resolutions like harmony or inner peace?

Or are you aiming for modern adaptations that include being a better, more productive version of yourself?

If you are seeking harmony, go for it.

Resolutions like this are the most effective and get to the heart of the issue – how you’re feeling.

If you feel at peace, chances are your habits will follow suit. You will probably treat others well, be generous, and disciplined.

The healthiest new year resolutions are based on the following fact: Sustainable change grows from inside-out.

This means you need to come to terms with your self-esteem – to believe you’re worthy of peace and harmony and not just once you’re done “earning” it by completing your new year’s resolutions.

Final Thoughts for a Happy New Year

You don’t need year’s resolutions to be worthy.

If you choose to make new year’s resolutions, let them be based on the old tradition.

Seek goals such as harmony, renewal, rebirth, amends, and discipline. Let your effort create change from the inside-outside.

Nonetheless, ensure you start the year knowing you’re enough without goals. They are simply an addition to life and are not meant to make up for any perceived brokenness.

In the words of John Candy: