Don't Make a New Year's Resolution [22]

Real Change Takes Time, Give Yourself Some

It's that time of year again. Gym memberships spike (great for one of my clients!). Diet plans fly off the shelves. Your LinkedIn feed fills with new transformation commitments. And by mid-February, 80% of those resolutions will be abandoned.

The statistics are brutal. According to my alma mater, Columbia University, only 25% of people maintain their resolutions beyond the first 30 days. Less than 10% actually accomplish what they set out to do.  I was one of those people. I frequently say I’ve lost over 500 pounds in my life and put on 600!

The problem isn't a lack of willpower. The problem is time, or how we think about time.  This 100% true for me and many of the leaders I work with.

The Real Work Takes Real Time Commitment

The companies I work with on strategic transformation don't think in days or weeks. They think in decades, or at least big chunks of decades. When a leadership team commits to genuine organizational change, we map out 5-, 10-, and sometimes 20-year horizons (you can see a great video of Rita McGrath’s Early Warnings System here). Not because change is slow (though meaningful change does take time), but because real transformation requires building new systems, developing new capabilities, and fundamentally changing how people think and work.

The leaders I coach think the same way. We start with a minimum one-year commitment, often with five-year objectives. Why? Because becoming the leader you're capable of being isn't a 30-day project. It's not about motivation; those of you who know me know I’ve been motivated dozens of times to change with very “mixed” results for years, until I commented to my own P-V-P. It's about architecture: building the foundations, establishing practices, developing awareness, and creating the conditions for sustained growth to become inevitable.

From Crisis to Ownership

Most resolutions are born from crisis thinking; mine were: "I need to lose weight." "I have to get my finances together." "I should exercise more." There's urgency but no foundation. There's intention but no system.

Real change starts with clarity about what matters most. Purpose. Vision. Principles. These aren't motivational concepts; they're navigation tools. They answer the question: when things get hard (and they will), what keeps you moving forward?

The executives who transform themselves and their organizations don't do it with a New Year's resolution. They do it by defining what they're building toward, why it matters, and what principles will guide every decision along the way. Then they work that plan every single day, adjusting as needed but never losing sight of where they're headed.

What to Do Instead

If you're serious about change in 2026, stop thinking about resolutions. Start thinking about transformation:

Define your timeframe: What needs to change over the next year? Three years? Five years? Be honest about how long real change actually takes.

Build systems, not habits: Resolutions focus on behavior change. Transformation focuses on building the conditions where better behavior becomes natural. What systems need to exist for you to succeed?

Create accountability: The companies that transform have boards, advisors, and leadership teams holding them accountable. The individuals who transform have coaches, mentors, and trusted colleagues in their corner. I’ve been working with one leader as part of her “personal board of directors” for over five years!  Who is in your corner?

Measure what matters: Don't measure outcomes ("lose 20 pounds", if you know me, you know I’ve lost hundreds of pounds… it doesn’t work). Measure the inputs that create outcomes ("strength train three times per week, walk one hour per day, sleep 7 hours per night"). Control what you can control, and don’t over-commit to yourself.  Starting small is not just okay; it works!

Think in quarters, not months: Break your long-term vision into 90-day rhythms. Assess, adjust, recommit. This creates momentum without the all-or-nothing pressure of annual resolutions.  Forgive yourself and start over when you fail, and you will fail.  It’s okay to miss a step; it’s not okay to give up on yourself.

The Bottom Line

If you want to make a resolution on January 1st, I'm not here to discourage you. I'm here to challenge you to think bigger. What would it look like to commit not just to this year, but to the next three to five years of your life and leadership?

Real transformation isn't about starting strong. It's about building something that lasts. It's about moving from crisis to ownership: owning your day, your health, your relationships, your impact.

That work doesn't start and stop with the calendar year. It starts when you're ready to commit to the long game. And it continues, day after day, until the person you're becoming is the person you were meant to be.

This week’s reading recommendation(s):  The Beginner’s Guide to Stoicism, Matthew J. Van Natta.  This is a short book and an easy read, but it gives tremendous insight into stoicism and, more importantly, a path to finding personal acceptance and discovery.  

Given that many of us will make resolutions to change and grow, Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic is a fantastic place to start. The Daily Stoic contains 366 meditations on wisdom, and I find helpful insight nearly every day, and I’m often inspired.

Podcast of the week: The Rich Roll Podcast, Rich on Rock Bottom, Resolutions & Reframing Family Dynamics. The questions of the season are how to handle family holiday stress and how to make New Year’s resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Ron

(c) 2025, Ron Boire and The Upland Group LLC. Lead with Purpose™ and The 51% Rule™ are trademarks of Ron Boire.

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