As 2025 winds down, leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals alike are setting their sights on the year ahead. Whether you’re running a company, managing a team, or simply aiming to grow in your career, the beginning of a new year presents a valuable opportunity for reflection and reset.
New Year’s resolutions are more than just personal commitments, they’re strategic intentions. According to a recent survey, 31% of Americans plan to make a resolution for 2026, with popular goals including health improvement, saving money, personal growth, and professional development. But while the intent is strong, the follow-through often isn’t: less than 10% of people successfully keep their resolutions all year, and many abandon them by the end of January.
So what separates a successful resolution from one that fades?
Turning Resolution into Execution: The SMART Strategy
In the business world, we know that goals without structure are just wishes. That’s why applying the SMART framework can help turn resolutions into results, professionally or personally. SMART goals are:
- Specific – Clearly define what you want to achieve
- Measurable – Include ways to track progress
- Achievable – Be realistic about what’s possible
- Relevant – Align with your values or business goals
- Time-bound – Set a clear deadline
Instead of “grow my business,” a SMART goal might look like: “Increase monthly revenue by 10% by May 1 through new client acquisition.” This level of clarity turns vision into an actionable plan.
Tips to Sustain Progress Beyond January
If you want your resolutions to last longer than your leftover Christmas cookies, consider these practical steps:
1. Break It Down
Big goals are motivating, but only if they’re digestible. Break them into smaller, quarterly or monthly targets to create a sense of progress and momentum.
2. Track and Review
Just as businesses use KPIs and dashboards, tracking your progress is key. Use a simple journal, app, or spreadsheet to keep goals front and center.
3. Build Accountability
Whether it’s a mastermind group, coach, or trusted colleague, sharing your goals with someone you respect increases the likelihood of sticking to them.
4. Focus on Habits, Not Just Outcomes
Leaders understand that consistent action creates results. Establish small daily or weekly habits that support your larger objectives, just like you’d coach your team to do.
5. Reflect and Reset
Not every plan will go smoothly. Build in time to reassess, realign, and adjust without losing momentum.
Resolutions Are Leadership Tools
In business, we often focus on metrics, performance, and profitability — and rightly so. But behind every healthy organization is a healthy, focused, and intentional leader. Resolutions, done right, are not fluff. They’re tools for transformation.
As we step into 2026, I invite you as a leader, business owner, or professional to set resolutions with intention. Align them with your purpose. Give them structure. And pursue them with accountability. Let this be the year that you not only make promises to yourself and your business but keep them.
Here’s to a purposeful and productive New Year!