Why Most New Year's Resolutions Fail (And the Goal-Setting System That Actually Works)
It's early January, and gyms across the country are packed. Everyone is motivated, determined, and convinced that this year will be different.
But statistics tell a different story: 92% of New Year's resolutions fail.
By February, most resolution-makers have abandoned their goals. By March, those goals are forgotten entirely. The annual cycle repeats: set goals in January, fail by February, feel guilty until December, then try again next year.
At EXL Fitness in Orem, we work with active adults ages 40-75 who are committed to breaking this cycle. Not through more willpower or discipline—those aren't the problem. But through a fundamentally different approach to goal-setting that turns good intentions into lasting results.
Today, I'm going to show you why most resolutions fail and teach you the goal-setting system we use with our clients—a system that actually works for long-term health and fitness success.
The Fatal Flaw in Most New Year's Resolutions
Take a moment and think about typical New Year's resolutions:
"Lose 30 pounds"
"Get a six-pack"
"Fit into my old jeans"
"Get in shape"
"Be healthier"
What do all these have in common?
They're all outcome goals—focused on end results rather than the actions that produce them.
And while outcome goals sound motivating ("I want to lose 30 pounds!"), they have a critical weakness:
You cannot directly control outcomes.
You can't decide to lose 30 pounds and have it happen. You can't will yourself into a six-pack. You can't think your way into better health.
Outcomes result from behaviors repeated consistently over time. But most people set outcome goals, then wonder why they fail when they can't figure out which behaviors to sustain.
This is the fundamental flaw that dooms most resolutions from the start.
The Three Types of Goals (And Which One Predicts Success)
To understand why most resolutions fail, you need to understand the three distinct types of goals—and recognize that only one of them reliably predicts success.
Goal Type 1: Outcome Goals
Definition: The end results you want to achieve.
Examples:
Lose 30 pounds
Deadlift 200 pounds
Lower cholesterol to 180
Fit into size 32 jeans
Run a 5K in under 30 minutes
The Appeal: Outcome goals are easy to visualize and measure. They're concrete. They sound motivating.
The Problem: You have limited direct control over outcomes. You can do everything right—train consistently, eat well, sleep adequately—and still not hit the specific number you set by the deadline you chose.
Maybe you lose 25 pounds instead of 30. Maybe you deadlift 185 instead of 200. According to your goal, you "failed"—even though you made tremendous progress.
This creates frustration and often leads to quitting. When your measure of success is something you can't fully control, you set yourself up for perceived failure even when you're succeeding.
When They Work: Outcome goals work as a general direction—"I want to get stronger" or "I want to improve my body composition." But they fail when they become your primary focus and the sole measure of your success.
Goal Type 2: Behavioral Goals
Definition: The specific actions you take consistently.
Examples:
Train at the gym 3 times per week
Eat 30 grams of protein at every meal
Walk 10,000 steps daily
Get 7-9 hours of sleep at least 5 nights per week
Practice stress management for 10 minutes daily
The Advantage: You have direct control over behaviors. You can decide to go to the gym today and then do it. Success is binary—you either completed the behavior or you didn't.
Why They Work Better: Behavioral goals create the habits that lead to outcomes. When you focus on behaviors and execute them consistently, outcomes take care of themselves.
You don't directly control whether you lose 30 pounds, but you do directly control whether you train three times this week. Do that consistently for months, and weight loss happens as a natural result.
The Empowerment Factor: Every time you complete a behavioral goal, you succeed. This builds confidence, creates momentum, and reinforces the habit. Rather than waiting months to see if you hit your outcome goal, you experience success daily.
For Adults 40-75: Behavioral goals become especially important as you age because outcomes may occur more slowly. Muscle building, fat loss, and strength gains take longer than they did at 25. If you're only measuring outcomes, you might get discouraged before results fully manifest. But if you're measuring behaviors, you succeed every time you show up—regardless of how fast the physical changes occur.
Goal Type 3: Purpose Goals
Definition: The deeper reasons behind your goals—why achieving them matters to you.
Examples:
I want to maintain strength and independence so I can live actively for decades
I want energy to fully show up for my family and work
I want to be strong enough to keep hiking, traveling, and doing activities I love
I want to prove to myself that I can make positive changes
I want to set an example for my children/grandchildren about healthy aging
I want to avoid the health decline I saw in my parents
The Power: Purpose goals provide the "why" that keeps you going when motivation fades—and motivation always fades.
When you're tired, busy, stressed, or unmotivated (which will happen regularly), your outcome goal ("lose 30 pounds") won't get you to the gym. That number doesn't connect emotionally to your daily decisions.
But your purpose goal? "I want to be strong enough to keep hiking with my grandkids for years to come"—that's powerful. That connects to what truly matters. That gets you off the couch even when you don't feel like it.
Purpose goals answer the fundamental question: "Why am I doing this?"
Without a clear answer to that question, any goal—outcome or behavioral—will eventually fail when obstacles arise.
The System That Actually Works: Purpose → Behavior → Outcome
Here's the goal-setting system we use at EXL Fitness with every client—and why it produces dramatically better results than traditional resolutions:
Purpose drives behavior. Behavior creates outcomes.
Let me show you how this works in practice by comparing two approaches to the same general goal:
The Wrong Approach (Outcome-Focused):
Goal: "I want to lose 30 pounds by March 31st."
What happens:
You focus intensely on the number on the scale
You weigh yourself daily, getting discouraged when progress is slow
You try extreme diets or excessive exercise to force faster results
Progress plateaus (normal) and you interpret it as failure
You haven't hit 30 pounds by deadline, so you feel like you failed
Motivation crashes and you give up
Result: Goal abandoned, no lasting change, same cycle repeats next January.
The Right Approach (Purpose → Behavior → Outcome):
Purpose Goal: "I want to maintain strength, energy, and independence so I can continue doing activities I love—hiking, traveling, playing with grandkids—for the next 20-30 years."
Behavioral Goals:
Train at EXL Fitness every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 AM
Eat 30g of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Walk 15-20 minutes on non-training days
Get 7-9 hours of sleep at least 5 nights per week
What happens:
Every Monday you train, you succeed (immediate win)
Every meal with adequate protein, you succeed (immediate win)
You measure success by behaviors you control, not outcomes you don't
Motivation fades, but you keep going because of your purpose ("I'm building strength for decades of active living")
Behavioral consistency creates momentum and confidence
Progress feels achievable because you're succeeding daily
Outcome: Weight loss happens naturally as a result of consistent behaviors. Maybe you lose 25 pounds in 3 months, maybe 30, maybe 20—but it doesn't matter because you're succeeding every week by hitting your behavioral goals.
Long-term result: Sustainable habits that last for years, not weeks.
See the massive difference?
In the outcome-focused approach, your measure of success is something you can't directly control, leading to frustration and failure.
In the purpose-behavior-outcome approach, your daily measure of success is behavioral, which you DO control. The purpose keeps you going when it's hard. And the outcome occurs naturally without being the focus of obsession.
Why This Matters Specifically for Adults 40-75
If you're between 40 and 75, this approach becomes even more critical for several reasons:
1. Outcomes Occur More Slowly
Your metabolism is slower than it was at 25. Muscle building takes longer. Recovery requires more attention. If you're only measuring outcomes, you might get discouraged before seeing results—even though you're doing everything right.
Behavioral goals let you succeed immediately and consistently, regardless of how fast physical changes occur.
2. Sustainability Matters More Than Speed
At 40-75, you're not training for a short-term transformation. You're building habits that will serve you for the next 20-40 years. Quick fixes and extreme approaches don't work in the long term.
Purpose-driven behavioral goals create sustainable systems that you can maintain for decades.
3. Independence and Quality of Life Are the Real Goals
The number on the scale or the weight you can lift matters far less than whether you can:
Get up and down from the floor easily
Carry your groceries
Travel without physical limitations
Play with grandchildren
Maintain independence as you age
Do activities you enjoy without pain or struggle
Purpose goals focused on these functional outcomes are more motivating than arbitrary numbers.
4. You've Likely Tried and Failed Before
If you're over 40, you've probably set and abandoned multiple fitness goals. You know willpower isn't enough. You need a different approach—one based on systems and purpose rather than motivation and outcomes.
How to Implement This System for Your 2026 Goals
Ready to apply this to your own goals? Here's the step-by-step process:
Step 1: Identify Your Purpose Goal
Ask yourself: Why does getting healthier/stronger/fitter actually matter to me?
Not the surface answer ("to look better" or "to lose weight"), but the deeper reason.
Prompting questions:
What do I want to be able to do in 10-20 years?
What activities do I love that I want to protect my ability to do?
What fears about aging motivate me?
What legacy or example do I want to set?
What would I regret if I didn't take action now?
Write your purpose goal:
"I want to [specific functional outcome] so that [meaningful reason]."
Examples:
"I want to maintain strength and mobility so I can continue hiking and traveling without limitations well into my 70s and 80s."
"I want to build muscle mass and bone density now so I can maintain independence as I age and not burden my children."
"I want energy and vitality so I can fully show up for my work, my family, and my life instead of feeling exhausted all the time."
Step 2: Define Your Behavioral Goals
Ask yourself: What specific, repeatable actions will move me toward my purpose?
Focus on 3-5 core behaviors. Don't try to change everything at once.
Key criteria for reasonable behavioral goals:
Specific: "Train Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 6 AM at EXL Fitness" (not "work out more")
Measurable: You can clearly answer yes/no whether you did it
Controllable: You directly control whether this happens
Relatable: This behavior actually serves your purpose
Sustainable: You can realistically maintain this long-term
Categories to consider:
Training frequency and schedule: How many days per week will you train? What times?
Nutrition targets: Protein goals? Meal timing? Specific habits?
Recovery practices: Sleep hours? Stress management? Rest days?
Daily movement: Steps? Walks? Active hobbies?
Write 3-5 behavioral goals:
Example:
Strength train at EXL Fitness on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 AM
Eat 30g of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Walk 15 minutes outside on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
Get to bed by 10 PM on weeknights for 7-9 hours of sleep
Check in daily via app with trainer
Step 3: Identify Expected Outcomes (But Don't Obsess Over Them)
Now that you have purpose and behaviors, you can identify likely outcomes—but these are predictions, not your measure of daily success.
Ask: If I consistently execute my behavioral goals for 3-6 months, what outcomes am I likely to see?
Example outcomes:
Lose 15-25 pounds
Increase strength on major lifts by 20-30%
Improve body composition (more muscle, less fat)
Have more energy throughout the day
Sleep better
Reduce joint pain
Lower blood pressure or cholesterol
Important: These outcomes are estimates. They might happen faster or slower. The specific numbers might vary. That's okay.
Your daily focus remains on behaviors. Outcomes are simply what you expect to see as a result, not your measure of success.
Step 4: Set Up Tracking and Accountability
Track your behavioral goals daily:
Use a simple notebook or calendar
Use a habit-tracking app
Check in with a trainer or accountability partner
Whatever system you'll actually use consistently
What to track:
Did I complete my training session? (Yes/No)
Did I hit my protein target at each meal? (Yes/No)
Did I get my walk in? (Yes/No)
Did I meet my sleep goal? (Yes/No)
Review weekly: Every Sunday (or whatever day works), review your tracking:
What percentage of behavioral goals did I hit?
Where did I succeed?
Where did I struggle?
What adjustments do I need to make?
Remember: You're aiming for 80% consistency, not perfection. If you hit your behaviors 5-6 days out of 7, you're succeeding.
The Role of Professional Support and Accountability
Here's what we've learned at EXL Fitness after working with hundreds of adults 40-75:
People who try to achieve goals alone have dramatically lower success rates than those with expert guidance and accountability.
Why? Several reasons:
1. You don't know what you don't know
Most people don't know:
How many days per week to train for their goals
What exercises are appropriate for their age and fitness level
How much protein do they actually need
How to adjust when they plateau
Whether they're doing movements correctly
How to program for sustainable progress
Without expert guidance, you waste months (or years) on ineffective approaches.
2. Self-accountability rarely works long-term
When motivation fades (and it will), self-accountability collapses. You skip a workout, rationalize it, skip another, and within two weeks, you're off track.
External accountability—a trainer expecting you, a scheduled appointment, and daily check-ins—works when internal motivation fails.
3. You need objective feedback
You can't see your own form, assess your own progress objectively, or identify your own blind spots. Expert feedback corrects problems before they become ingrained bad habits or injuries.
4. Plateaus require expertise to break
Everyone plateaus. Without expert guidance, most people quit when progress stalls, unaware that minor adjustments to programming, nutrition, or recovery can break the plateau within weeks.
This is why we built EXL Fitness around comprehensive support:
Personalized training sessions with experienced coaches who design programs for your specific goals and body
Custom nutrition plans with daily targets appropriate for adults 40-75
Daily accountability via a custom app where you check in with your trainer every day
Weekly private accountability sessions to review progress, solve problems, and adjust your plan
Community support from other members working toward similar goals
This multilayer system means you're never trying to figure it out alone. You have expertise guiding you, accountability keeping you consistent, and support helping you navigate obstacles.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even with the right goal-setting approach, several pitfalls can derail your success. Watch for these:
Pitfall 1: Setting Too Many Behavioral Goals
The mistake: Trying to change 10 behaviors simultaneously.
Why it fails: Finite willpower and attention. You overwhelm your capacity and end up changing nothing.
The solution: Start with 2-3 core behaviors. Master those for 4-8 weeks. Then add more.
Pitfall 2: Making Goals Too Vague
The mistake: "Train more often" or "eat healthier"
Why it fails: Vague goals are impossible to act on or measure.
The solution: Make goals so specific that a stranger could follow them exactly.
Pitfall 3: Not Planning for Obstacles
The mistake: Your plan assumes perfect conditions—no travel, illness, work stress, or schedule disruptions.
Why it fails: Life is unpredictable. Without backup plans, obstacles can completely derail you.
The solution: Create "if-then" plans. "If I can't make it to the gym, then I'll do a 20-minute home workout."
Pitfall 4: All-or-Nothing Thinking
The mistake: Missing one workout and thinking "I've already blown it for the week."
Why it fails: Perfectionism prevents consistency. One miss becomes many.
The solution: The "next meal" rule. Get back on track at the very next opportunity.
Pitfall 5: Quitting When Progress Slows
The mistake: Hitting a plateau and assuming nothing's working.
Why it fails: Plateaus are normal, not failure. Most people quit right before the breakthrough.
The solution: Expect plateaus. Make small adjustments. Trust the process.
Real-World Example: Purpose → Behavior → Outcome in Action
Let me show you how this works with a real client (details changed for privacy):
Sarah, 58, came to EXL Fitness with typical outcome goals: "I want to lose 40 pounds and get back to my college weight."
We redirected her to purpose goals:
After discussion, her real purpose emerged: "I want to maintain my independence as I age. I watched my mother become unable to care for herself in her 70s, and I'm determined to stay strong and capable. I want to travel with my husband, play with future grandkids, and never be a burden on my children."
We defined behavioral goals:
Train 3x/week (specific days and times scheduled)
Eat 30g protein at each meal
Walk 20 minutes on non-training days
Get 8 hours sleep 5+ nights per week
Check in daily via app
What happened:
Month 1: Sarah struggled with consistency. She hit about 60% of behaviors. But because we were measuring behaviors, not outcomes, she could see precisely where she struggled (sleep and daily walks) and where she succeeded (training and protein).
Month 2: With adjustments and continued accountability, consistency improved to 75%. She started feeling stronger and more energized.
Month 3: Consistency at 85%. Physical changes became visible. Energy dramatically improved.
Month 6: Consistent at 80-85% (sustainable long-term). She'd lost 28 pounds, but more importantly:
She was significantly stronger (deadlifting 135 lbs)
She had energy throughout the day
She was sleeping better than in years
She felt confident in her body's capabilities
Month 12: Weight loss totaled 35 pounds. But Sarah no longer cared much about the number. Her focus was on what she could DO:
Hiking trails that would have been impossible a year earlier
Playing actively with her new grandson
Traveling without physical limitations
Feeling strong, capable, and independent
The outcome goal ("lose 40 pounds") was never hit. She "only" lost 35.
But the purpose goal ("maintain independence and capability for decades") was absolutely achieved.
And because her success was measured by behaviors, not just outcomes, she succeeded hundreds of times throughout the year—every training session, every high-protein meal, every walk, every good night's sleep.
That's the difference this approach makes.
Your Next Steps
If you're serious about making 2026 different—about finally achieving health and fitness goals that last—here's what to do:
Step 1: Complete the Three-Goal Framework
Take 30 minutes today and write:
Your Purpose Goal: Why does this really matter to you? What deeper reason drives this commitment?
Your Behavioral Goals: What 3-5 specific, repeatable actions will you commit to? (Remember: specific, measurable, controllable)
Your Expected Outcomes: What results do you anticipate if you consistently execute these behaviors?
Step 2: Set Up Tracking
Choose your tracking method and set it up TODAY:
Notebook with daily checkboxes
Habit-tracking app
Calendar with check marks
Whatever you'll actually use
Step 3: Get Accountability
This is where most people fail. They set goals, they know what to do, but they have no accountability when motivation fades.
Options:
Find a workout partner
Join a group fitness class
Work with a personal trainer
Join an online accountability group
Or—if you want the comprehensive support system that produces the highest success rates:
Work with us at EXL Fitness.
We provide everything discussed in this article:
Help identify your purpose goals
Custom behavioral goals designed for your life
Personalized training programs
Custom nutrition plans
Daily accountability via app
Weekly private sessions
Expert adjustments when needed
Community support
We specialize in adults 40-75 who are serious about building strength, maintaining independence, and living vibrantly for decades to come.
If you're interested in learning more:
[Schedule a free consultation] where we'll discuss:
Your specific goals (purpose, behavior, outcome)
What's been stopping you
Whether our program is right for you
How we can help you succeed
No pressure. No hard sell. Just an honest conversation about how we might help you achieve what you've been trying to achieve alone.
Call/text us now to get started today: 801.623.6717
Final Thoughts: Make This Year Different
Every January, millions of people set resolutions with genuine hope that this year will be different.
For 92%, it won't be—because they're using the same approach that failed before.
But you can be in the 8% who succeed.
Not through more discipline or willpower, but through a better system:
Purpose → Behavior → Outcome
Know why you're really doing this (purpose).
Define the specific actions you'll take (behavior).
Let the results follow naturally (outcome).
Track behaviors, not just outcomes.
Measure success daily, not just monthly.
Get accountability and support, don't go alone.
This year can be different. But only if you do something different.
Will you set another outcome-focused resolution that fails by February?
Or will you implement a purpose-driven, behavior-focused system that creates lasting change?
The choice is yours.
We're here if you want help.
At EXL Fitness in Orem, we help active adults ages 40-75 achieve health and fitness goals that last—not through willpower and motivation, but through evidence-based goal-setting, personalized programming, and comprehensive accountability systems. If you're ready to finally achieve goals that stick, contact us today for a free consultation. 801.623.67117 | exlfitness.com
