🧠 New Year, New Me: The Psychology of Resolutions

Today’s Edition of Captivated: New Year, New Me: The Psychology of Resolutions: How to Turn Resolutions into Revenue (Part 1)

“New Year, New Me.”

Ah, January.

The season of fresh planners, optimistic goals, and that magical feeling that this year will be different.

How many times do we say, “It’s MY year!”? …

But let’s be real, most of us will fall off our resolution bandwagons faster than you can say, “Dry January.” …

(continues below).

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⏩️ Too Busy with New Year Energy to Read the Whole Thing?

• Read the tl; dr

• Listen: scroll all the way to the top and click: Listen Online

⏩️ IN THIS EDITION

• New Year New Me

• Smart, Free Tool You Can Use #1

• Why we All Make Resolutions

  • 🏃 Resolution #1: “I’ll EXERCISE MORE”

    • Did You Know?

    • What's the Big Deal?

    • The Psychology Behind It

    • Brands Winning at this Brain Science

    • Fun Fact

    • Steal this Strategy for Yourself

    • tl;dr

    • Smart, Free Tool You Can Use #2

  • 🔍️ Resolution #2: TBD (You Decide)

    • Choose Your Adventure

(continued from above )

… Every year, we fall into the same cycle:

1. Reflect on the past year.

2. Set goals for the next.

3. Tell ourselves, This time, it’s different.

4. {Spoiler Alert} It’s… not all that different.

5. Back to #1.

Resolutions are so enticing because they tap into:

• 🧠 Temporal Landmarks: The New Year feels like a natural reset, giving us permission to leave the past behind and start anew.

• 🧠 The Fresh Start Effect: We’re motivated by the idea of new beginnings, which makes us more likely to commit to change.

• 🧠 Optimism Bias: At the start of the year, we overestimate our ability to achieve ambitious goals because we’re hopeful and energized.

And they’re so hard to keep.

The result?

By February, most of us have already slipped back into those old routines.

With the right brain science—nudges, smart motivators, and a sprinkle of emotional connection, New Year resolutions become powerful opportunities.

In this series, I’ll break down popular resolutions, the triggers and psychology behind them, and how you can tap into this to captivate customers and clients, and keep them coming back.

📈 DID YOU KNOW?

Gamifying workouts makes people 3x more likely to stick with their fitness routines.

🤔

 .. What’s the Big Deal? ..

Every single January, gyms are packed…

everybody (and their mama) is downloading a fitness app…

and we all swear this is the year we’ll get abs in time for spring.

But for most of us, motivation fades faster than the caffeine on the first day back to work after the holidays.

Exercise is as much a mental game as a physical one, and the secret lies in keeping it fun, rewarding, and easy to stick to.

Gamification, community, and quick wins keep people coming back, delivering those mini, feel-good dopamine hits every time we hit a streak or milestone.

🧠

 .. The Psychology Behind Fitness-Inspired Resolutions that Stick ..

1: GAMIFICATION: 

Our brains crave rewards.

Gamifying workouts - or anything - with streaks, badges, or leaderboards taps into our dopamine system.

This makes every achievement feel addictive (in the best way), like a win worth chasing.

🧠 Gamification taps into our brain’s reward system by releasing dopamine with every achievement.

Dopamine makes us feel good and crave that feeling again, motivating repeat behavior.

2: SOCIAL PROOF: 

Seeing others succeed is contagious.

When we see others hitting their fitness (or any) goals, our brains interpret it as proof we can do it too. 

Success feels within reach, and worth sticking to.

🧠 Social proof works because humans are wired to follow the group, it’s a survival instinct.

Seeing others succeed signals safety and achievable possibility.

3: QUICK WINS: 

Small victories keep us hooked.

Starting something new can feel so overwhelming.

So breaking goals into bite-sized, achievable wins gives us the immediate gratification our brains love.

Small wins signal progress, keeping us confident and hooked.

(I mean, who doesn’t love checking a goal off the list?)

🧠 Quick wins create a feedback loop of success.

Accomplishing something small activates our brain’s reward center, giving us motivation to do another small step.

🥇

.. Brands Winning at this Brain Science Strategy ..

Nike Run Club: Tracks runs, rewards badges, and makes even a 2-mile jog feel like a win.

Peloton: Combines leaderboards with live classes to encourage competition and community.

Planet Fitness: Low-cost memberships and “Judgment Free Zone” takes the fear and intimidation out of starting.

✨

.. Fun Fact ..

Equinox, the luxury gym, caused quite an uproar a while ago by banning people from joining their gym on January 1st.

According to them, anyone joining a gym for a new year’s resolution in January is not serious (among other things).

It’s one of my favorite marketing campaigns from the past years because, agree or disagree, it’s so incredibly audacious.

And yep, its an annual thing for them now.

🥷

 .. Steal this Strategy for Yourself ..

1️⃣ Make Progress Visible: Show streaks, milestones, or leaderboards to keep people hooked.

• “Hit your 5-day streak and unlock your next badge!” or “Your next milestone is just two actions away - keep going!”

People love to see tangible progress. Progress bars, milestone markers, and streaks trigger dopamine, reinforcing consistent behavior.

2️⃣ Build a Community: Create spaces where people can share wins to add motivation.

• “Join our weekly challenge to connect and compete with others!” or “Join our private Slack group to swap tips, celebrate wins, and network.”

Humans thrive on connection. When people feel part of a supportive community, they’re more likely to stay engaged and motivated.

3️⃣ Reward Small Wins: Celebrate the effort, not just the outcome.

• “You logged progress for 5 days straight: Here’s 10% off your next purchase.” or “Achieved 3 milestones this month? You've unlocked a freebie!”

Small rewards give people a sense of achievement and momentum, making big goals feel achievable.

✌️ 

 .. tl;dr & wrap-up ..

The New Year is a powerful temporal landmark: a natural reset that makes us feel ready to leave the past behind and chase something new (aka resolutions).

Thanks to the "Fresh Start Effect," we’re extra motivated to commit to big changes (at least for now).

People love to feel like they’re winning, and this is your moment to tap into these triggers and New Year energy with smart psychology:

Gamification keeps people hooked with little dopamine hits.

Social proof makes them think, "If they can do it, I can too."

Quick wins make even big goals feel doable.

Whatever you’re selling, this is your chance to meet people where they are - energized, optimistic, and looking for wins.

Help them see progress, feel connected, and celebrate the small stuff, and they’ll be captivated and coming back for more.

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🧭 

 .. Choose Your Adventure ..

(Whatever gets the most votes will be the brain-smart breakdown in next week’s edition of Captivated)