Every January, millions of people set health resolutions.
Exercise more. Sleep better. Eat differently. Stress less.
And every February, most of them quietly disappear.
Research consistently shows that 60–80% of New Year’s resolutions fail within the first two months (Norcross & Vangarelli, 1989; Norcross et al., 2002). Not because people lack discipline or good intentions — but because behavior change is far more complex than motivation alone.
If information and willpower were enough, sustainable health change would already be easy.
It isn’t.
The real problem with resolutions
Resolutions are built on a fragile foundation:
- short-term motivation
- “all-or-nothing” thinking
- vague goals
- and the belief that change is a single decision
Behavioral science tells a different story.
Change is a process, not an event.
It involves:
- habit loops (cue–routine–reward) (Lally et al., 2010)
- self-efficacy and confidence (Bandura, 1997)
- readiness to change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983)
- intrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2000)
- environmental design
- relapse and recovery
In other words: humans don’t fail at change — simplistic approaches do.
From resolutions to revolutions
This is where credentialed Health & Wellness Coaching enters — not as motivation on demand, but as a structured, evidence-based profession dedicated to sustainable behavior change.
Coaches trained and certified through organizations such as the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) and the International Coaching Federation (ICF) are specifically educated to:
- work ethically and within clear scopes of practice
- apply behavior change science in real-world contexts
- support autonomy, not dependency
- partner with clients rather than prescribe solutions
- navigate complexity across physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors
Coaching supports what resolutions ignore:
- clarifying why change matters personally
- translating goals into realistic micro-behaviors
- building skills for self-regulation and recovery
- navigating setbacks without shame
- strengthening identity (“this is who I am becoming”)
- integrating health into real life — work, family, stress, constraints
Instead of relying on willpower, coaching builds capacity.
Instead of pressure, it builds ownership.
Instead of short bursts of effort, it supports long-term systems of behavior.
That is the revolution.
Why this matters for organizations
For organizations investing in well-being, this distinction is critical.
Well-being initiatives often fail when they focus on:
- awareness without integration
- one-off programs
- individual responsibility without systemic support
Credentialed Health & Wellness Coaches work at the intersection of:
- individual behavior change
- organizational context
- psychological safety
- workload realities
- leadership habits
- prevention of chronic stress and burnout
They help transform “well-being as a program” into well-being as a capability — embedded into leadership practices and daily work.
And that directly impacts:
- burnout prevention
- engagement
- retention
- sustainable performance
- and the health of workplace cultures
A new question for January
Perhaps the question is no longer:
What is your New Year’s resolution?
But rather:
What kind of change are you ready to build — and who is qualified to support you in building it?
Because real health change does not come from trying harder.
It comes from changing how change happens.
That is where professional coaching belongs.
Happy New Year from the GAHWC!
References (APA)
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67.
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009.
Norcross, J. C., & Vangarelli, D. J. (1989). The resolution solution: Longitudinal examination of New Year’s change attempts. Journal of Substance Abuse, 1(2), 127–134.
Norcross, J. C., Mrykalo, M. S., & Blagys, M. D. (2002). Auld lang syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year’s resolvers and nonresolvers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(4), 397–405.
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1983). Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51(3), 390–395.
World Health Organization. (2022). Behavioural and social sciences for better health.
