January 9 is known as Quitters Day.
It's not a day to encourage you to quit your job. Studies show people usually give up on their resolutions within the first two weeks of the new year.
Here are the top New Year's resolutions of 2026, according to Statista:
- Exercise more
- Save more money
- Eat healthier
- Spend more time with family/friends
Dr. Heather Hartman-Hall, a psychologist with MedStar Health, shared tips on how to stay on track with your resolutions and avoid the Quitters Day trap.
Make small, attainable goals
"When you look at why people struggle with resolutions, often they have tried to make too big a change at once," said Dr. Hartman-Hall. "Behavior change is hard and its even harder when we try to do a lot all at once."
She suggests making smaller goals. Instead of a resolution to work out five days a week when you hardly exercise, try walking for 10 minutes one day and build from there. Try stacking your resolution with a habit you already do. If you walk to the mailbox everyday, do a loop around the block first and then pick up your mail.
Look out for barriers
"Be realistic about what other things in your life are competing and really think about how you’re prioritizing things," said Dr. Hartman-Hall. Be able to pivot and adapt your resolutions to what's going on in your life. It's ok if you have to change your resolution, don't see it as a failure.
Reward rather than punish yourself. "Criticizing yourself is not going to be as helpful as rewarding yourself for even small changes."
Match resolutions to your priorities
Dr. Hartman-Hall says to avoid the "should" kind of resolutions such as 'I should lose weight' or 'I should be fitter.'
"If it doesn’t match your values and your priorities in life, it’s not going to happen. It's a good time to think why do I want to work on this goal, is this a real goal in my life, does it fit my other priorities?"
"Pick something that matches what you really care about or what you really value," said Dr. Hartman-Hall. "Think about things that bring meaning and joy and actual satisfaction with your life."
