“New Year’s resolutions aren’t about becoming someone new overnight, they are about choosing, day by day, to stop repeating what no longer works for you…”
Every January, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions with genuine intent. They plan to stop smoking, drink less, lose weight, manage stress, or finally change habits that no longer serve them. Yet by February, most resolutions have already faded. This is not due to laziness or lack of motivation. It is because habit change is far more complex than willpower alone.
Research consistently shows that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail within the first six to eight weeks when people attempt change on their own. The brain is designed to conserve energy and protect familiar patterns. When stress, fatigue, or emotional triggers appear, as they inevitably do, the old habit quickly reasserts itself. Motivation is simply not enough to override deeply ingrained behavioural loops.
This is where working with a life coach or hypnotherapist significantly shifts the odds of success.
Studies in behavioural psychology and coaching research indicate that people who receive structured support are two to three times more likely to achieve meaningful change. One widely cited figure shows that self-directed habit change has a success rate of around 10–15%, whereas supported change through coaching or therapeutic intervention can increase success rates to 30–60% or higher, depending on the habit and consistency of sessions.
Why the difference?
A life coach helps by creating clarity, accountability, and structure. Instead of vague goals like “be healthier,” coaching translates intentions into specific, measurable actions. Progress is reviewed, obstacles are anticipated, and setbacks are reframed as data rather than failure. This keeps momentum going when motivation naturally dips.
Hypnotherapy works at a deeper level. Habits are not just behaviours; they are learned emotional responses stored in the subconscious mind. Smoking, overeating, procrastination, or anxiety-driven behaviours often serve a purpose, comfort, control, distraction, or relief. Hypnotherapy addresses the underlying drivers, helping the mind release outdated patterns and replace them with healthier automatic responses. This is why many clients report change feeling more natural rather than forced.
Importantly, support also reduces self-blame. When people struggle alone, they often conclude:
“There’s something wrong with me.”
With professional guidance, the focus shifts to understanding how habits work, and how to change them safely and effectively.
The New Year is not magical. There is nothing inherently special about1st January. What is powerful is deciding that change matters enough to be done properly.
If this year you want more than another short-lived resolution, working both a hypnotherapist and life coach, this may be the difference between trying again, and finally succeeding!! Book a session or consultation here.