Every January, we run the same experiment and act surprised by the outcome.
Gym memberships spike. January is the single largest month of the year for new gym sign-ups in the United States. Industry data consistently show that roughly 12–15 percent of annual gym memberships are sold in January alone.
“Dry January” makes its annual return. Diets begin. Fitness trackers get charged. Optimism is high.
And then February shows up.
Research summarized by Forbes shows that fewer than 50 percent of people are still following their New Year’s resolutions six months later. Long-standing behavioral research also shows that roughly 80 percent of resolutions are abandoned by mid-February, with only single-digit percentages sustained through the full year.
This is not a motivational problem, it is a design problem, and it matters to leaders because the same pattern plays out within teams every year.
As teams return to work, whether virtually or in person, they dust off the business plan, schedule the kickoff meeting, and begin sharing team New Year’s resolutions.
It sounds thoughtful. It feels responsible. Yet it rarely changes outcomes.
Resolutions are backward-looking. They are reactions to last year’s frustrations, framed as avoidance. They focus on what the team hopes not to repeat rather than on clearly defining what the team will do differently.
Behavioral science has shown for decades that people and teams sustain change more effectively when goals are framed around progress and gains rather than loss and restraint. Goals focused on stopping behavior trigger resistance, while those focused on building behavior create momentum.
Teams fall into the resolution trap because avoidance feels safe. In practice, it leaves execution vague.
High-performing teams do not operate on resolutions, they operate with positive intent. Positive intent is a clear statement of what the team will do, how it will do it, and why it matters. It is not motivational language, it is operational clarity.
Here is the difference in practice.
Instead of saying, “We will not overcommit to clients this year,” a team states with positive intent, “We will design our service calendar, so clients receive proactive outreach at predictable moments aligned with their priorities.”
Instead of saying, “We will not set unrealistic growth goals,” they say, “We will pursue growth that aligns with our capacity model to keep client experience and team energy strong.”
Instead of, “We need to communicate better,” they say, “We will hold a weekly team huddle with clear agendas and shared visibility so decisions are made once and executed consistently.”
McKinsey research on team effectiveness consistently shows that teams with clarity around behaviors, roles, and operating norms deliver stronger performance, better decision quality, and higher engagement.
As your team returns to work after the holidays, this is the moment when tone is set.
Before calendars fill up and urgency takes over, pause and be intentional about bringing the team back together.
As you plan your New Year kickoff meeting, replace team resolutions with a structured conversation that clarifies direction, reinforces trust, and sets a positive tone for the year ahead. A well-designed kickoff does more than align goals. It shapes how the team thinks, decides, and executes over the next twelve months.
Consider using a five-part framework that consistently works for high-performing teams.
Start with outcomes, not activity.
Clarify what success looks like by year-end and how it will be measured. Objectives should reflect client value and business impact. Key results should be specific, observable, and owned.
Questions to explore:
Most teams face priority overload.
Identify the top three priorities that will drive those outcomes. Connect each priority to why it matters to clients and the team.
State each priority with positive intent. This gives the team a clear decision-making filter for the year ahead.
Even if you celebrated in December, celebrate again.
Recognition reinforces behavior. Reflection builds judgment. Talk openly about what worked and what did not work.
High-performing teams convert experience into learning rather than rushing past it.
Execution depends on trust. This does not require forced fun. It requires shared experience. Volunteer together. Share a meal. Recognize teammates for behaviors that reflect your values. Reinforce that this is a team, not a collection of individuals.
McKinsey’s research on team health shows that teams with stronger relational bonds perform better under pressure and adapt more effectively to change.
Close the meeting by asking each team member to state, with positive intent, one way they will learn, grow, or improve personally or professionally this year.
Not resolutions. Clear intent.
Examples:
Teams do not grow unless individuals do. When development is named and normalized, learning becomes part of the culture.
If this shift from resolutions to positive intent resonates, there is a short, practical book worth reading: A More Beautiful Question, written by Warren Berger.
The idea is simple. Questions drive better behavior than declarations. When people replace rigid resolutions with thoughtful, forward-looking questions, engagement lasts longer and learning remains active throughout the year.
Use these questions personally, with your leadership team, or during your kickoff meeting.
The Bottom Line
Resolutions feel productive in January. They rarely survive February. Positive intent creates clarity, accountability, and lasting momentum. High-performing teams skip resolutions and focus on how they will think, work, and grow together.
New Year’s resolutions fail because they are backward-looking and framed around avoidance. They focus on what teams want to stop doing rather than clearly defining new behaviors, which leaves execution vague and unsustainable.
Resolutions focus on avoiding past mistakes, while positive intent clearly defines what a team will do, how it will operate, and why it matters. Positive intent provides operational clarity instead of motivational language.
An effective kickoff meeting includes refining OKRs, setting clear priorities with a clear why, celebrating the previous year, building cohesion through shared experience, and stating personal growth with positive intent.
Clear priorities reduce overload and give teams a decision-making filter for the year. When priorities are connected to why they matter, teams make better choices and stay aligned.
Teams do not grow unless individuals do. When personal development is stated with positive intent and normalized, learning becomes part of the team culture.