Here’s how to maintain your New Year’s motivation

If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution you might want to brace yourself for tomorrow! The second Friday in January is officially known as Quitter’s Day, a title that sounds like it should come with a siren and a public health warning.

Studies suggest that over 40% of people abandon their resolutions on this very day, usually somewhere between a soggy salad and the realisation that it’s still dark at 8am (at which point, I am in urgent need of a pack of cookies).

If you dodge the Quitter’s Day bullet, don’t get too comfortable. Another major drop-off point arrives about three weeks into January, when motivation has packed its bags and gone on a sun holiday, leaving discipline to mind the house on its own. So why do we fall off the wagon so spectacularly every year?

For starters, we tend to overestimate short-term motivation and underestimate the effort needed for long-term change. There’s also the Fresh Start Fallacy, the belief that 1 January is some sort of magical reset button that wipes out years of habits, late-night snacking and the emotional support toastie. It isn’t. Habits take time to build, and they take time and patience to change.

Another common downfall is a lack of strategy. Good intentions are lovely, but they won’t carry you very far on their own. Big goals need to be broken down into smaller, manageable steps.

Then there’s the dreaded all-or-nothing mindset. Miss one gym session or eat one slice of cake and suddenly it’s ‘What’s the point?’ and you’re ordering a takeaway. One off-day does not cancel all your progress, it just means you’re human.

There are plenty of reasons New Year’s resolutions fail, but the good news is that with a few small adjustments, you might actually see real progress this time. Whether your goal is to learn how to cook, lose weight, or simply stop living on toast and vibes, your version of New Year, New Me for 2026 doesn’t have to be short-lived.

One of the most powerful tools is accountability. Starting out with a buddy like a gym partner, walking pal or fellow home-cook-in-training makes it much easier to stick to new routines. You can motivate each other and share the misery when it’s raining sideways.

Going public can help too. A blog, vlog or Instagram account documenting your progress can keep you on track. Trisha’s Transformation on Instagram is a great example. She shared her weight loss journey online, stayed consistent and looks absolutely unreal, by the way.

Another simple but effective trick is keeping a habit journal. Whether it’s daily, weekly or monthly, ticking off habits gives you a small but satisfying sense of achievement and that little dopamine hit makes you far more likely to stick with it.

Above all, make sure your goals are clear, achievable and realistic. Losing three stone in one month isn’t just ambitious, it’s unhealthy. If weight loss is your aim, it’s always worth checking in with a doctor or nutritionist to make sure you’re going about it safely.

And please, for the love of decent food, don’t fall for the so-called miracle diets. They don’t work long-term. You might lose weight, but it’ll pile back on quicker than I can demolish a bag of Taytos!