How About a New Year's Resolution You Can Keep?

It’s New Year’s Eve! Have you made your 2026 resolutions yet?

I have.

It’s the same resolutions I made last year. I’m not making any resolutions.

This strategy has worked well for me over the years. By refusing to make resolutions, I have avoided the self-flagellation that occurs when I inevitably break those promises to myself.

I know it’s fun to make pronouncements about how we’re going to do better in the coming year. But I am a realist. The odds are you will abandon your 2026 resolutions within weeks, if not days.

Don’t misunderstand; I’m not questioning your intentions — just your willpower. And I don’t mean to offend. I’m just stating the facts — playing the odds, if you will.

According to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, only 8 percent of people achieve their New Year’s goals — ever. In other words, more than 90 percent fail. That’s why I feel pretty safe playing the odds. Unless you're way out of the mainstream, your resolutions are already toast.

And your commitment to change won’t even last very long. On average, people break their New Year's resolution by January 12.

I didn’t make this up. It is based on research by Strava, a social media network for athletes. According to a New York Post story, the company analyzed more than 31.5 million online global activities to come up with that date. I don’t have any idea how they did that, but it sounds sciency, and we've all been told we must always “trust the science.” 

Anyway, I’d bet dollars to donuts (mmmm donuts) that most of the people who read this will ultimately cave on their New Year’s resolution.

So, why set yourself up for failure?

I don’t.

Look. I could go through the motions. I could commit to quitting eating donuts in 2026. It would be much better for my health. But here’s the thing: I can declare I’m going donut-free next year, but it’s not going to happen.

I am not, under any circumstances, going to quit eating donuts.

I know it.

You know it.

The lady at Dunkin' knows it.

Now, it’s fair to say this is probably not the best strategy for personal growth. Then again, it minimizes disappointment. Life is better without disappointment, right? So, maybe this is a personal growth plan. 

A friend of mine put it like this.

“New Year's resolutions are procrastination dressed as tradition. That's why they don't work.”

That said, I do believe we should constantly strive for personal growth. That’s really what New Year’s resolutions are about. I had ChatGPT scour the internet and come up with the five most common resolutions.

• Exercise more / get fitter
• Eat healthier
• Improve finances (Save more money and/or spend less)
• Lose weight
• Spend more time with family and friends

All worthy goals, right? I just don’t think making a big pronouncement on Dec. 31 is the best strategy.

I'm more of a "take action" now kind of guy.

Psychologists have studied resolutions, and they say that most people get too caught up in the moment and set expectations too high. That drives them to commit to things they will never be able to realistically achieve.

To put it simply, their dreams aren't realistically actionable. 

I'll give you an example.

You might say something like, “I’m never going to eat donuts again.” Or, perhaps, you’ll promise yourself, “I’m going to work out every single day!”

That’s not going to happen.

Psychology being what it is, most people will just throw in the towel after the first little setback. I bet you've experienced this yourself. You slip up, forget you made a resolution, and take a bite of a donut at the office, and the next morning, you’re in the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through (Yes, donuts are a thing for me).

And you’re going to hurt so bad the day after you go to the gym for the first time, you’ll never want to go back. When you miss day two, you might feel guilty and just call it quits for good.

But don’t lose hope.

You can absolutely make your life measurably better in 2026. You can set some reasonable goals, take action from day one, and achieve them.

The key, experts say, is incremental lifestyle changes. Instead of giving up donuts forever, maybe you could just cut back to one donut a week. Instead of promising to workout every single day, set a reasonable workout goal.

Nutritionist Dr. Carly Moores said another problem is that people try to make too many changes at once. You know that guy – he goes gangbusters on January 2nd. He fasts, and then he goes to the gym and works out for three hours. The next day, he hurts so bad he can barely get out of bed. Plus, he’s starving to death. To compensate for his suffering, he heads to Waffle House and never graces the inside of the gym again.

Moores advises making reasonable, incremental changes.

“Start with small changes and continue to build on these or try to tackle one change at a time,” Moores said. “Try to set yourself goals, reflect on your progress towards these, acknowledge that changes can be hard, and results won’t happen overnight … or even in the first two weeks of the new year.”

Here’s the takeaway – changing your life is a process – not a pronouncement.

Using the calendar flip at the beginning of the new year as an opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and set goals isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes we need to reset. The New Year holiday provides that opportunity.

But remember: talk is cheap. You have to take action. As the saying goes, there’s no better time than the present.

A Resolution You Can Keep

I promised you a resolution you can keep. If you've read this far, I appreciate your faith in my promise. I shall now deliver!

I can’t help you with your fitness or eating goals, but I can offer some solid advice for improving your financial situation in the coming year. Invest in gold and silver.

I made a similar recommendation last year. If you followed the advice, you’re pretty happy right now.

Now, you might be thinking, "Well, Mike, that’s a great idea. But I really can’t afford to buy an ounce of gold right now, and even silver is getting expensive."

Money Metals can help with that. Check out our monthly purchase plan. You can set up a monthly payment that works within your budget and build your gold/silver holdings over time. You can set up a subscription for as little as $100 per month. As a bonus, you’ll get access to lower premiums.

It’s basically a set it and forget it program. Even I could keep that resolution!

Whether you're a resolution person or not, now is a great time to get your financial house in order -- not because we're on the cusp of a new year, but because tomorrow is a new day. And every day is a good day to make a positive change!

Happy New Year from all of us at Money Metals!

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