How to stick to your personal goals

With the new year, many people resolve to make big and small changes. Why do our resolutions so often fall to the wayside? How can we make our goals turn into habits?

Air Date: January 6, 2026 12:00 pm

New year, new you? How can you stick to your goals.

Every January, we make big promises to ourselves: live healthier, drink less, exercise more and reconnect with friends and family.

They’re all great ideas … in theory. So why do so many of them fade by February?

In this episode, we unpack why New Year’s resolutions are so hard to stick to. We learn about motivation and how to avoid the pressure of setting too many “big goals” at once. Is starting the year with a long checklist actually helpful, or does it just set us up to feel overwhelmed? And what does it really take to form long-lasting habits? We’ll explore the psychology behind resolutions and ask “how do you make yours stick?”

Guests:

Katy Milkman, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of The Behavior Change for Good Initiative. She’s the author of How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to where You Want to Be.
George James, CEO of George Talks, licensed therapist and author of I Give Myself Permission.

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