Why do so many New Year's resolutions fail?

Establishing positive new habits is hard at any time of year. But there are ways to stop your attempts ending in failure

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Every year millions of us dream up New Year’s resolutions in the hope of making permanent, positive changes to our lives. But a few weeks later, most of them are little more than vague memories. More often than not, we’ve back to our old routines by the end of January projects have been abandoned, promises have been broken and the resolutions we vowed we would stick to this time have been tossed on the scrapheap.

But what is it about New Year’s resolutions that makes keeping them so difficult? And what can we do to make it easier?

Well, the good news is a New Year’s resolution is just a good habit dressed up in seasonal clothing. And with a little understanding of the psychology of how habitual behaviours are formed, you can start (or restart after an earlier failed attempt) a new habit anytime, at any point in the calendar. So here are seven tips to overcome the obstacles that make establishing a new good habit so hard, whether you’re trying to do it in January, June or December...

1. BE AN EARLY BIRD

When starting something new, like a new hobby, do it as soon as possible in the day. Even if you’re not a morning person or need to take your kids to school, applying this rule is a cornerstone of lasting change for several reasons.

Navigating the trials and tribulations of daily life means that your willpower, or conscious motivational resources, such as willpower, will typically decline as the day goes on, while factors like tiredness and fatigue will increase. The later you are in the future your plans are, the less likely it is that you can predict how you’re going to feel.