Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail (& What to Do Instead)
The start of a new year often brings a familiar pressure for athletes: setting ambitious goals to improve performance, fitness, or personal milestones. We are conditioned to think in terms of New Year's resolutions—rigid, outcome-focused goals that promise a "better" version of ourselves. Lock in. Double down. Get faster. Win the championship.
But how often do these New Year's resolutions lead to burnout, frustration, or feelings of failure when life inevitably throws a curveball?
An injury, a busy period at work, or family commitments can very quickly derail the best-laid plans. This all-or-nothing approach to goal setting often leads to a cycle of failure and burnout. The resolution becomes a source of anxiety rather than inspiration. If you identify as a perfectionist, you may see this drive as an asset. But striving for unrealistic standards, basing your self-worth entirely on meeting them, and engaging in self-criticism can erode your mental wellness.
Instead of rigid resolutions, what if you focused on setting intentions? A more flexible, values-driven approach that prioritizes who you want to be over what you want to achieve? In this post, we’ll explore why traditional resolutions often fall short and how athletes can use intention-setting to guide their training, recovery, and mental wellness.
Why Resolutions Often Fail Athletes
Traditional New Year's resolutions are typically outcome-focused: Run a marathon in under 3 hours. Win the next competition. While these goals may seem motivating, they often come with a pass/fail mindset. Miss a training session or face an unexpected setback, and the resolution starts to feel like a failure.
As athletes, we know that growth isn’t a straight line. When you tie your sense of accomplishment to a single outcome, you set yourself up for disappointment. A minor setback can feel like a total failure, making it tempting to abandon the goal altogether. This focus on external achievements can also disconnect you from the intrinsic joy of your sport. Training becomes a chore, a means to an end, rather than a fulfilling part of your life.
Social media can amplify these pressures. Learn how to navigate its impact on body confidence in our post, How Social Media Impacts Athletes’ Body Confidence and Mental Health.
What Are Intentions, and Why Do They Work?
Unlike resolutions, intentions focus on how you want to show up in your life and sport. They are rooted in your core values and guide your actions without the pressure of a specific outcome.
Where a resolution is about doing, an intention is about being.
Resolution: "I will train 15 hours every week."
Intention: "I will be a consistent and mindful athlete, listening to my body and adapting my training as needed."
For more on how to train with intention, explore our guide on Deliberate Practice.
Resolution: "I will win my age group at the next race."
Intention: "I will compete with courage and give my best effort, celebrating the process regardless of the outcome."
Notice the shift. The intention is process-oriented, not outcome-dependent. It creates space for nuance and self-compassion. If you get sick and can only train for five hours one week, you haven’t failed your intention of being a consistent and mindful athlete. In fact, by choosing to rest, you have honored it. Intentions realign your focus with your core values, which provides a much more stable foundation for long-term growth and mental wellness.
How to Set Intentions for Your Year
Setting meaningful intentions requires self-reflection. It’s not about picking a vague, positive-sounding phrase. It's about digging deep to understand what truly matters to you. Here are three actionable steps to guide you.
1. Define Your Core Values
Your values are the foundation of your intentions. They reflect what truly matters to you as an athlete and a person.
Take some time to reflect on these questions:
What qualities do I admire in other athletes?
When have I felt most proud of myself, in or out of sport?
What brings me joy and fulfillment?
From your answers, identify a few core values. Examples might include:
Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks with a positive mindset.
Balance: Honoring all aspects of your life, not just your athletic identity.
Joy: Finding pleasure in the act of training and competing.
2. Craft Your Intentions
Once you have your core values, you can translate them into intentions for the year. An intention should be a present-tense statement that describes how you want to live out your value. Frame it as "I am..." or "I will..."
Here’s how you can turn values into intentions:
Value: Resilience
Intention: I will meet challenges with curiosity instead of judgment. I will treat setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow stronger.
Value: Balance
Intention: I will be fully present in each part of my life. When I train, I will focus on training. When I am with my family, I will focus on them. I will protect my time for recovery and rest.
Value: Joy
Intention: I will find something to appreciate in every training session. I will celebrate my effort and the privilege of being able to move my body.
Write your intentions down and place them somewhere you will see them regularly—on your bathroom mirror, as your phone's lock screen, or in your training log. This isn't about setting it and forgetting it. It's about creating a constant, gentle reminder of who you want to be.
3. Connect Intentions to Actions
Intentions provide the "why," but you still need the "how." The final step is to connect your intentions to small, practical actions. This is when you can still set tangible athlete goals, and now, they are rooted in a deeper purpose.
Let’s go back to our examples:
Intention: "I will meet challenges with curiosity instead of judgment."
Action: When I have a poor workout, I will write down one thing I learned from it instead of criticizing my performance.
Intention: "I will be fully present in each part of my life."
Action: I will schedule one completely tech-free hour with my family each day and put my training data away after analyzing it.
These actions are the bridge between your inner compass and your daily life. They allow you to live your intentions day by day. Over time, these small actions compound, building habits that support not just your athletic performance but your overall well-being.
Integrating Intentions into Your Training
Intentions aren’t just for the start of the year. Revisit them regularly to ensure they still align with your goals and circumstances. Consider incorporating intention-setting into your pre-competition routine or recovery plan.
For tips on staying mentally strong, check out How to Perform Under Pressure as An Endurance Athlete.
A Year Guided by Purpose
This year, let go of the pressure to achieve perfection. Instead, focus on who you want to be as an athlete and a person. By setting intentions, you’ll build a mindset that can weather any challenge, honor your body’s needs, and find joy in the process.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your journey, consider taking our Athlete Wellness Assessment to identify your strengths and areas for growth. And as always, our team is at the ready to help you build a sustainable, fulfilling approach to your sport and life.
