Behavioural science suggests that approach-oriented goals are more closely tied to intrinsic motivation, which has been repeatedly linked to higher persistence rates across health and lifestyle changes.
In the glittering world of resolutions and self-renewal, where gyms brim with ambition on January 2 and kale smoothies rule the roost, science has something utterly chic to say about how we actually make change that lasts.
In a large-scale experiment published in PLOS ONE, Martin Oscarsson, Per Carlbring, Gerhard Andersson, and Alexander Rozental turned a critical eye to one of life’s most ubiquitous rituals — the New Year’s resolution — and unearthed a truth that feels as stylish as it is strategic: it’s not what you give up, it’s what you step toward that counts.
The study, conducted with a substantial sample of 1,066 adult participants, stands out as one of the largest empirical investigations of New Year’s resolutions to date, lending rare statistical weight to a topic often treated as anecdotal or cultural fluff.
The study invited over 1,000 participants from the general public to craft their own resolutions and then tracked their success over the course of a full year, with follow-ups at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.
In a world where “stop eating sweets” and “quit procrastinating” tend to hog the spotlight, Oscarsson and colleagues found that the people most likely to stick with their goals were those who framed their resolutions as approach-oriented — that is, as something to add or embrace rather than something to avoid.
Participants who adopted this positive-framed mindset boasted a success rate of 58.9 % at the one-year follow-up, compared to 47.1 % for those whose resolutions focused on avoidance, a statistically significant difference that challenges the cultural obsession with restriction and self-denial.
It’s a subtle shift of language with profound implications: goals that whisper “begin something new” seem to resonate with the brain’s reward circuitry more beautifully than goals that bark “stop this now.”
The findings imply that transformational change isn’t a battle of willpower but a creative act — one that thrives on curiosity, forward motion, and the promise of becoming something more rather than less.
The study also explored whether different kinds of support — ranging from minimal digital check-ins to extended monthly guidance — helped people cling to their resolutions.
Interestingly, the group that received moderate support achieved the highest success rate overall, outperforming both the low-support and high-support groups.
This suggests that while accountability matters, over-structuring self-improvement may actually dilute autonomy, a key driver of sustained behaviour change.
Oscarsson, Carlbring, Andersson, and Rozental’s work elegantly reframes that New Year’s “fresh start” energy.
Instead of wrestling with what we ought to quit, perhaps we should be nurturing what we want to cultivate — adding moments of joy, movement, or fulfilment to our lives. After all, science now tells us that aspirations grounded in approach are not just more uplifting — they’re measurably more likely to last.
• At a one-year follow-up, 55% of responders considered themselves successful in sustaining their resolutions.
• Participants with approach-oriented goals were significantly more successful than those with avoidance-oriented goals (58.9% vs. 47.1%).
• The group that received some support was exclusively and significantly more successful
02.01.2026.
