It’s the second week of 2026. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions?

For many people, the answer is probably no. Maybe you’re reading this while feeling self-loathing and eating something you vowed to stop eating in 2026. Or maybe you’ve decided to stop procrastinating, but you’re reading this because you’re procrastinating on a task you need to get done. Contrary to what you’ve been told or the thoughts circulating in your head, this isn’t proof that you’re a pathetic loser. Instead, you just made a poor New Year’s resolution that is doomed to fail.

And you are not alone. About half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions on January 1st. 22 percent I failed at the end of the first week. 50% in 3 months. After two years, it’s 81%. Knowing this, you might conclude that New Year’s resolutions are foolish. That’s wrong. Determination is actually a very good thing. It shows that you want to improve your life in a tangible, healthy and positive way. People need something in life that is worth striving for. You just need to be smart about how you make your decisions.

I would know. When I was in my mid-20s, I said to a friend that I really wanted to quit smoking. I fell in love with cigarettes when I was 13 years old. People now ask me why I did it, and all I can say is, “Because it was great.” Well, until it isn’t. I woke up every night around 3 a.m. and lit the coffin nails in bed. (Hey, don’t judge me, for me smoking is relationship) But one night when I was 26 and engaged to be married, I fell asleep again while smoking a lit cigarette and woke up later to find 10 burnt holes in my sheets. It occurred to me that it’s one thing for cigarettes to kill people. myselfBut it’s quite another thing for them to kill the future Mrs. Brooks.