Quiet Work in a Loud Month: Rethinking resolutions and the pace of real change

Doing the quiet work, one step at a time.

Welcome to 2026. January is resolution season. That the time of year when we’re told, loudly and repeatedly, that we should be different. Lose weight. Get organized. Fix your life in eight weeks or less. If that’s your goal, there’s no shortage of gyms, planners, apps, subscriptions, and supplements promising transformation on demand.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve yourself. We all want to be better. But better compared to whom?

Is the urge to change coming from a deep desire to grow or from pressure to fit a particular size, schedule, or personality? Forbes reports that roughly 80% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by February. That statistic isn’t a failure of willpower. It’s a signal that many resolutions are built on expectations that don’t actually fit who we are.

Real change doesn’t happen because the calendar flips. It happens when you commit to becoming a better version of you, not a completely different person. The start of a new year invites reflection, but the question isn’t what should I change? It’s what actually matters now?

In my coaching work with women leaders, this is often where the conversation shifts. Not toward fixing or reinventing, but toward discernment on what to hold onto, what to release, and what kind of change is actually sustainable in this season.

If traditional resolutions aren’t your thing, here are a few approaches I often use in coaching:

1. Give the year a mantra.

If you had to sum up the year in a phrase, what would it be? It isn’t s a goal, it is an intention. How do you want the year to feel?

2. Create a vision. Go old school.

A former client once shared a practice I love. She takes an old paper calendar and tapes words or images onto each month that reflect what she wants to focus on or accomplish. It’s a simple way to visualize priorities, milestones, and rhythms across the year.

If you did this, what would each month hold? What are the big projects, transitions, or moments you want to honor. What would it take to make them real?

3. Map the change.

• What is the change you actually want? More confidence? Better listening? More intentional leadership?

• What steps will get you there, and what obstacles are likely to show up?

• What does success look like, and how will you sustain it?

  
  

For 2026, my personal goal is to do a pull-up by my birthday. It doesn't seem like much, but it’s specific and requires me to eat better, get stronger, and stay consistent. My (admittedly imperfect) mantra for the year is to quiet the noise and focus on what’s important.

That’s what real change looks like. It’s rarely quick or linear. It involves starts and stops, course corrections, and sometimes realizing that what you thought you wanted isn’t quite right after all. The change may end up being smaller, or different, than you imagined, but no less meaningful.

If you’re ready to explore change that fits who you are, not who January says you should be, I’d welcome a conversation.