Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail (And What to Do Instead)

Mar 11

Well, hey there!

Let’s be real—It’s almost end of Q1 so you’ve probably figured by now that your New Year’s resolutions might be a tad bit overrated.

How many times have you promised yourself that this is the year you finally get your life together, only to find yourself slipping back into old habits by March? Maybe you’re like me and you started strong in January, with color-coded fancy planners and ambitious goals, only to end up dodging your to-do list a few weeks later.

But here’s the thing: you’re not failing—your approach is.

Traditional resolutions rely on sheer willpower. They demand rigid discipline, perfectionism and often ignore the deeper "why" behind what we truly want. The problem? Willpower is a limited resource. And when life inevitably throws a curveball, resolutions crumble.

The Real Reason Resolutions Don’t Work

Most resolutions fail because they are:
✅ Outcome-focused instead of identity-driven. We set a goal (“I’ll get promoted this year”) but don’t address the habits and mindset shifts that create that success.
✅ Built on external expectations. Are you chasing a goal because it excites you—or because you think you should?
✅ Overly rigid. Life happens. A goal that doesn’t evolve with you will break under pressure.

So instead of setting another doomed-to-fail resolution, let’s do something smarter.

Leading with Purpose: Your 2025 Roadmap to Career Clarity

You’re ambitious. You’ve checked all the boxes—degrees, promotions, achievements. But… something still feels off.

Maybe you’re feeling uninspired in your work, restless in your career, or questioning whether you’re climbing the right ladder.

If that’s you, here’s the shift: The next level of success isn’t about climbing higher—it’s about going deeper into what actually matters to you.

How Clarity Fuels Momentum (Even If You Feel Lost Right Now)

When you don’t have clarity, you default to autopilot—saying yes to things that drain you, following paths that don’t excite you, and feeling stuck in cycles of frustration. Clarity isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about aligning your energy with what truly fuels you.

If you’re feeling lost, start by asking yourself these three unconventional questions:

1. What’s a future you’re scared to admit you want?

Forget what’s practical for a second. If success was guaranteed, what would you really want? What career pivot, creative project, or leadership move is quietly calling your name?

2. Where are you forcing yourself to be someone you’re not?

Are you spending energy trying to fit into a version of success that doesn’t feel like you? What if you let go of that and pursued what actually aligns with your strengths and values?

3. What’s the boldest truth you’ve been avoiding?

Maybe it’s that you don’t want the promotion. Or that your dream job is actually outside your current industry. Or that the career identity you’ve built no longer fits.

Facing these truths takes courage—but they hold the key to your next step.

Create a Vision Statement That’s Bold, Rebellious, and Unapologetically You

Instead of rigid resolutions, create an annual theme—a guiding principle that fuels your decisions and actions throughout the year.

Some examples:
🔥 The Year of Expansion: Saying yes to bolder opportunities.
🔥 The Year of Alignment: Only pursuing what feels right.
🔥 The Year of Leadership: Owning your voice and stepping up.

This isn’t about hustling harder—it’s about building a career and life that lights you up.

So here’s your challenge: Ditch the resolutions. Define a vision. And make 2025 the year you lead on your own terms.

jonika hoomes

Jonika is a seasoned executive coach and leadership development expert who specializes in enabling leaders to build high-performance teams. With a focus on increasing people management skills, working with the inner critic, leveraging strengths, and fostering self-mastery across emotional intelligence (EQ) and intellectual intelligence (IQ), Jonika empowers leaders to unlock their full potential.

Prior to launching Integralis Leadership, Jonika served was a G2G Coach (Coach for Google executives) & was a part of the Google School for Leaders faculty helping onboard new coaches in an effort to democratize access to coaching for all Googlers. She served as the Chief of Staff for Google Engineering, where she led Strategy and Operations for Product operations. Reporting directly to the VP & General Manager of Developer Relations, she oversaw 15 Google Product Areas, 27 Google Managing Directors, and an ecosystem of 224 partners with 2.8 million developers. With over 18 years of experience at Google, Jonika held leadership roles in global teams across the company's largest organizations, including Cloud, Engineering, Android, and AdWords/Paid search. Her diverse background includes experience in Business Development, Sales & Partnerships, Product Operations, and Learning & Development. As a Google-to-Google Executive Coach (G2G Coach), she also played a key role in driving L&D and Talent Development strategy, and was a faculty member at Google School for Leaders.

Earlier in her career, Jonika spent 12 years as a Global General Manager, working with reseller partners across various industries such as automotive, legal, real estate, travel, and edTech. She successfully built and led global teams that transformed a small book of business in paid search into a $1 billion revenue stream for Google's Automotive sector.

Jonika's contributions at Google have been marked by numerous achievements and pioneering efforts. She was the first Albanian to be hired by Google in 2004 and played a crucial role in establishing the company's first channel partnership team. Jonika also led the development of channel sales attributes for all reseller roles at Google, including Biz Dev, Partner Manager, Training, and Marketing. Her exceptional leadership in building and managing global channel sales teams earned her recognition as one of the Women of the Channel, one of only two leaders selected from across all of Google. Jonika's career at Google has been characterized by successfully navigating internal mobility across four different organizations while consistently leading and empowering teams. As the Global Head for Android One, she adeptly handled complex business landscapes and skillfully managed change during major partnerships with Motorola, Nokia, LG, as well as Seccion Amarilla, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

Jonika holds the designation of an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation. She brings deep knowledge in adult learning, leadership and talent development, and organizational culture transformation to her coaching practice. Jonika's creative and assertive approach, honed through leading international projects across the globe, sets her apart. She is a passionate and outside-the-box thinker with a strong bias for action. Having experienced life as an immigrant in Silicon Valley, Jonika is highly attuned to cultural sensitivities and is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in all aspects of her work.