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The start of each new year is a powerful symbol of renewal and fresh opportunities, making it the perfect time to make very intentional changes in our lives. New Year鈥檚 resolutions are a chance to reflect on past achievements and challenges, identify areas for growth and establish clear goals for personal and professional development.
According to of the Baylor College of Medicine, 鈥渟tudies show that 88 percent of people who set New Year resolutions fail them within the first two weeks.鈥� But that doesn鈥檛 discount their effectiveness at helping people improve themselves.
Not everybody chooses to set resolutions, but for those who do they can be powerful motivation. By committing to these resolutions, we cultivate discipline, build positive habits and maintain a sense of purpose throughout the year. Sticking to these goals helps us create meaningful change in our lives while also boosting confidence and resilience.
But what if we make resolutions and fail?
鈥業 have to do something鈥�
I worked with Sara for over six years. She was one of those co-workers everyone loves to have around: extremely proficient at her job, handling her assigned duties with competence and professionalism. But Sara was more than that 鈥� she was friendly, compassionate and fun to have around. She remembered birthdays. She sent thank you notes and 鈥済et well鈥� cards. She was everyone鈥檚 favorite teammate because she was always thinking about others.
She was also severely overweight.
On Jan. 2, 2019, Sara reached out to me via our company chat. 鈥淗appy New Year!鈥� she typed. 鈥淚 want to run a marathon. Will you help me?鈥�
Everybody at work knew I was a . After all, my wall of medals showed up behind me any time I was on a video call. I was currently getting ready to run the Boston Marathon for the first time.
鈥淵ou know it鈥檚 not easy, right?鈥� I said. 鈥淟ike, the first person who did it ?鈥�
鈥淚 know,鈥� she chatted back, 鈥渂ut I have to do something.鈥�
Sara would later confide in me that when she climbed on the scale on January 1, she couldn鈥檛 believe the number that stared back at her. She鈥檇 put on her weight gradually 鈥� pregnancy by pregnancy, pound by pound 鈥� but the gains had accelerated in recent years. She was the heaviest she鈥檇 ever been, and she finally decided that enough was enough.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy to help,鈥� I told her. 鈥淔irst, let鈥檚 make you a plan.鈥�
Planning and getting started
Since Sara lived in an area known for brutal winters, it was lucky she already had a hand-me-down treadmill to train on. She came to me again and again in those first several months, asking questions:
- How do I even get started? I recommended that she begin by using one of the various 鈥淐ouch to 5K鈥� apps available for both iOS and Android phones.
- What kind of shoes should I get? Shoe selection is incredibly personal. I suggested she visit a specialty running store and get professionally fitted.
- Why are my feet bleeding so much? That鈥檚 definitely not something you want to hear from a new runner. Sara was wearing cotton crew socks to run on her treadmill! I helped her find some better ones.
- What race should I run? At first, she told me she wanted to run a race scheduled for late October, which would require a very aggressive training plan. I convinced her it would take longer to prepare, so she settled on a marathon 14 months in the future.
Halfway there?
One of my recommendations to Sara was that she sign up for some shorter races in the months leading up to her marathon. She walked a 5K in February, and jog-walked another one in March. By the time she did her first 10K in May, she鈥檇 dropped over 50 pounds and had to buy new shoes because her feet had gone down two sizes. After seven months of training, she felt she was ready to tackle a half marathon (13.1 miles).
She signed up for a summer race with me and a buddy of mine. We all started together on a beautiful July morning. I finished the race, then waited for my friend to finish as well. Then my buddy drove me back to where Sara was slowly (but surely) walking the course.
I walked the final third of the course with her. As we paced out her final miles she was miserable and delirious, occasionally throwing up in the gutter. She started dropping F-bombs, which was definitely not something I鈥檇 heard from her before. The race director sent the 鈥渟wag wagon鈥� to drive her to the finish line, but she refused to get in. She broke into a slow trot for the last tenth of a mile, her young daughters joining us for the final yards. It took her over four hours, but Sara had covered over 13 miles for the first time in her life.
Time to Rock and Roll
But that was 鈥渏ust a half.鈥� In the months leading up to Sara鈥檚 marathon, she began worrying more and more about finishing within the race cutoff time of seven hours. She was run-walking some pretty good distances by this point, but still quite slowly. We registered for one of the Rock 鈥榥鈥� Roll marathons and made our travel plans. Sara did all the things marathoners do, fretting about her race day outfit and worrying about what to eat the night before.
When marathon morning finally came, we lined up together at the starting line. We鈥檇 already decided I would run my own race and she鈥檇 run hers. I promised to make my way back and keep her company at the end, if I could. We held hands during the national anthem. Then the gun went off and so did we.
I finished 147th out of 1,757 runners 鈥� not my fastest time, but not my slowest, either. I relaxed for a few hours, re-hydrating and enjoying the music at the finish line. Then I texted Sara: 鈥淗ow is it going?鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to make the cutoff,鈥� she replied.
A few minutes later, she messaged me again: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e closing up the aid stations.鈥�
This particular race featured a long out-and-back before the final few miles. As the cutoff time loomed, the race director moved the turnaround point, essentially forcing dozens of slower runners to 鈥渃ut the course.鈥� I walked two miles up the road and met Sara near the 24-mile marker. She was hot, hobbling and miserable.
鈥淚鈥檝e only gone 22 miles,鈥� she said tearfully as we headed into the final quarter mile. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 be a real marathoner.鈥�
鈥淵ou didn鈥檛 come this far only to come this far,鈥� I said, reminding Sara that 鈥� just 14 months ago 鈥� she couldn鈥檛 walk a quarter mile without feeling like she was dying. While that was little consolation in the moment, she later reflected on the pride she felt as she thought about her 14 months of marathon training.
Marathon 鈥榝ail鈥�
When Sara crossed the finish line, her watch indicated she鈥檇 only run 22.3 miles. She accepted her finisher鈥檚 medal, still heartbroken she hadn鈥檛 been able to cover the entire distance. Later, after dropping her husband and daughters at their hotel, Sara went out and run-walked another four miles. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the same,鈥� she said to me later, 鈥渂ut at least I did 26.2 miles in one day.鈥�
The thing is, Sara never ran another mile. She got rid of her 鈥渄readmill鈥� and started doing Zumba and pole dancing workouts at her local gym. (She still posts videos every week on Instagram!) Though she supposedly 鈥渇ailed鈥� as a marathoner, she managed to lose nearly half her body weight and has kept it off for almost five years. She tells me she has way more energy than she had as a teenager, keeping up with her life and busy daughters in a way she hadn鈥檛 been able to in years.
Way to 鈥渇ail,鈥� Sara!
Winning by failing
Though New Year鈥檚 Day has come and gone, it鈥檚 never too late to make a resolution. But keep in mind these sobering statistics from :
- 3 in 10 Americans made a resolution in 2024.
- 79% of New Year鈥檚 goals involve improving health.
- Those ages 18 to 24 are more likely to have fitness-related resolutions.
- 80% of goal-setters feel confident they can stick to their resolutions throughout the year.
- 85% of people with resolutions believe the impact will extend beyond a single year.
- 23% of adults quit their New Year鈥檚 goals by the end of the first week of January.
- Just 9% of Americans actually keep their resolutions throughout the year.
That being said, here鈥檚 some helpful advice for those wanting to set meaningful New Year鈥檚 resolutions.
- When setting resolutions, don鈥檛 be afraid to think big. Ambitious goals can be highly motivating and inspire you to push beyond your comfort zone. Lots of advice you鈥檒l read about New Year鈥檚 resolutions says to pick manageable targets. But where big change is needed, big goals are required. Even if you 鈥渙nly鈥� end up running 85% of whatever equates to your marathon, that鈥檚 a huge win compared to where you began.
- Milestones are helpful. I 鈥渆ncouraged鈥� (she might say 鈥渇orced鈥�) Sara to include some shorter races as part of her marathon training. Dividing your resolution into smaller, measurable milestones provides a clear roadmap to success. Celebrating these little wins keeps you motivated, reinforces your progress and helps maintain momentum toward achieving your larger goal.
- Turn your resolution into a habit. Consistency is the key to success, and the best way to achieve lasting change is to integrate your resolution into your daily routine. Research shows it takes , on average, to develop a habit. If you can long enough for discipline to kick in you鈥檒l be ahead of the game.
- Get an accountability partner. Sharing your resolution with someone you trust can provide encouragement, feedback and a sense of shared commitment. An accountability partner can help keep you on track by providing motivational 鈥減eer pressure鈥� and gently reminding you to stay focused.
- Most failures are at least partial wins. Celebrate them! Even when you fall short of a goal, the effort you put in often leads to growth and progress. Recognizing and celebrating the lessons learned or the smaller achievements within a perceived failure helps maintain a positive mindset and fuels future success.
Shoot for the moon
Clergyman and philosopher Norman Vincent Peale, author of 鈥淭he Power of Positive Thinking,鈥� famously said, 鈥淪hoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you鈥檒l land among the stars.鈥� This sentiment, while not exactly astronomically accurate, perfectly encapsulates the spirit of New Year鈥檚 resolutions. Setting ambitious goals can transform our lives, even if we don鈥檛 achieve them exactly as planned. The journey itself 鈥� the effort, growth and incremental victories along the way 鈥� often proves more rewarding than the outcome.
Sara鈥檚 story demonstrates how so-called 鈥渇ailure鈥� can lead to profound success. While she didn鈥檛 achieve her marathon goal, her determination and hard work led to remarkable improvements in her health, lifestyle and confidence. Her experience reminds us that resolutions are not about perfection but about progress.
Whether it鈥檚 running a marathon, improving your health, or pursuing some other personal growth, the act of trying 鈥� and learning from the process 鈥� is what truly counts. So, as you set your goals for the year ahead, remember to aim high, embrace the journey and celebrate every step forward, no matter how small.
If somehow you manage to 鈥渇ail鈥� like Sara, you can definitely count yourself a winner.
