New Year’s Resolutions and Parkinson’s Law

Here’s the deal: skip making a New Year’s resolution this year.

Seriously, why bother?

You know you’re likely not going to stick with it, so why set yourself up for disappointment? And do you know why millions will probably fail at your 2025 New Year’s resolutions?

It’s because of Parkinson’s Law.

If you’re not familiar, Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time you give it. In other words, the time allocated to a task directly affects how much work is required to complete it.

Think about it this way: When you were in school, and the teacher gave you a project with a due date at the end of the week, you probably didn’t get to work on it immediately. You waited until Thursday night to start and finish the assignment. That’s Parkinson’s Law in action.

The same principle applies to New Year’s resolutions. If you set a goal in January with 12 months to accomplish it, chances are it won’t happen. You may feel motivated for the first week or two, but then you’ll get distracted, remind yourself that you still have 11 months left, and eventually forget about it entirely.

Does this mean you should never set big goals? Absolutely not. But instead of aiming for one large, overwhelming goal, focus on smaller, more achievable targets. A coach can help you break things down into manageable steps.

For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds this year, start with a simple goal like eating one serving of vegetables at every meal for two weeks. Or (if you don’t workout anywhere) simply talk to someone at a gym!

Once you’ve mastered that, set a new goal to actually go to the gym.

By the end of the year, you’ll have reached all these smaller milestones, and they’ll have added up to achieving your bigger goal.

So, this year, forget the typical New Year’s resolutions and avoid falling into the trap of Parkinson’s Law. Focus on small, actionable goals and watch your success grow.