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It might be Quitter’s Day, but here’s why experts say giving up your resolution isn’t failure

It might be Quitter’s Day, but here’s why experts say giving up your resolution isn’t failure

Today is Quitter’s Day, but experts say small resets matter more than sticking rigidly to January rules

Ruairidh Pritchard

Published: January 9, 2026 at 6:30 AM

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It is officially Quitter’s Day today, the point in January when more people give up on their New Year’s resolutions than at any other time.

If your healthy eating plans have slipped, workouts have been missed, or January motivation has already dipped, you are far from alone.

Research suggests around a third of people abandon their resolutions by today (9 January), but experts increasingly agree that this moment is not a failure point. Instead, it can be a chance to reset in a way that actually works.

Why Quitter’s Day hits so hard

January is often framed as a fresh start, with pressure to overhaul routines and set ambitious goals. But a national 2026 Quitter’s Day resolution survey found that among people who gave up on their New Year’s goals, 49% cited a lack of motivation, 34% pointed to time constraints and 24% said their original goals were unrealistic.

Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser at IQdoctor, says many resolutions are set during a burst of emotional motivation rather than realistic planning.

She explains that January often arrives with fatigue, financial pressure, dark mornings and the return to full routines, which quickly expose how demanding those goals really are.

For busy parents, this is even more pronounced, as time, sleep and energy are already stretched. When children are unwell or work pressures rise, personal goals are often the first thing sacrificed, not due to a lack of willpower but because caring responsibilities rightly take priority.

It's easy to let personal goals slip when life gets busy after the holidays

It's easy to let personal goals slip when life gets busy after the holidays (Credit: Getty)

From a medical perspective, Dr Wylie says an all-or-nothing approach to health and well-being frequently backfires. Health behaviours exist on a spectrum rather than as simple successes or failures, and when people believe they must do everything perfectly, even small setbacks can trigger guilt and disengagement.

Health is built over months and years, not days. Restarting is not a sign of weakness but of insight.

Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP

Why simple resets work better than big resolutions

Rather than pushing for dramatic change, many behaviour and wellness experts are now encouraging a quieter approach to January, one focused on habits rather than overhauls.

Behavioural change expert Dr Heather McKee explains that people are far more likely to stick with habits that feel enjoyable and easy to repeat. Her work focuses on reframing health goals so they feel supportive rather than restrictive.

“The most sustainable habits are the ones you actually enjoy,” she explains. “When something fits into everyday life, it stops feeling like a ‘health choice’ and starts becoming a habit.”

The most sustainable habits are the ones you actually enjoy, not the ones you force yourself to endure.

Dr Heather McKee, behavioural change expert

Psychotherapist Sarie Taylor, founder of Worldwide Wellbeing, agrees that pressure is often the biggest barrier to lasting change.

She says the familiar “New Year, new you” messaging can quietly reinforce the idea that we are not good enough as we are, which makes change harder to sustain.

Simple, enjoyable habit building could the key

Simple, enjoyable habit building could be the key (Credit: Getty)

“Change doesn’t come from forcing ourselves to be better,” she explains. “It comes from having a different perspective, grounded in compassion rather than pressure. Small, manageable steps are far more sustainable.”

Real change happens when we stop punishing ourselves and start supporting ourselves.

Sarie Taylor, psychotherapist

Why missed workouts and failed diets don’t mean you should quit

Fitness culture can make January feel particularly unforgiving, especially if exercise plans fall apart early.

Steve Chambers, certified personal trainer and gym manager at Ultimate Performance, says the traditional idea of a strict January reset is one of the most common reasons people give up altogether.

He explains that overly restrictive plans often lead to burnout, guilt and a cycle of starting and stopping that can leave people feeling worse than before.

Consistency over time matters far more than chasing perfection for a few weeks in January.

Steve Chambers, certified personal trainer

Why sleep and energy matter more than motivation

If January motivation feels low, experts say willpower is rarely the issue. Energy, mood and focus are closely tied to how well, and how consistently, we sleep, especially after the disruption of Christmas and the darker winter months.

Lucy Kershaw, a nutrition expert at Nature’s Best, explains that light exposure is one of the most effective ways to reset the body clock. Getting outside within the first hour of waking, even for a short walk, helps signal to the body that it is time to be alert, which can support energy levels throughout the day.

Consistency also matters more than catching up on rest. Keeping regular bedtimes and wake-up times, even at weekends, helps reinforce natural sleep rhythms and makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling more refreshed. Long lie-ins, while tempting in winter, can actually make it harder to reset.

“Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps reinforce your natural rhythm,” Kershaw explains. “Long weekend lie-ins can make it harder to reset.”

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a neurophysiologist and sleep expert at Oak Tree Mobility, adds that small daytime habits often have a bigger impact on sleep than people realise. She says simple routines, such as eating breakfast soon after waking and creating a calm, orderly sleep environment, can help the body feel more settled by bedtime.

“Natural light exposure in the morning is crucial for regulating your body’s internal clock,” she explains. “These small cues tell your brain when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to rest, which supports deeper, more restorative sleep.”

Morning light has been proven to help energy and motivation

Morning light has been proven to help energy and motivation (Credit: Getty)

Gentle movement can also play a role. When energy is low, light activity such as walking, stretching or yoga can help lift mood without adding pressure. Public health guidance shows that light exercise can support mental wellbeing, particularly during the darker months when motivation often dips.

Experts also advise being mindful of habits that disrupt sleep. Excess caffeine later in the day and prolonged screen use in the evening can interfere with melatonin production, making it harder to wind down. Simple changes, such as avoiding caffeine after lunchtime and dimming screens in the evening, can help support more restful sleep.

When motivation is low, it’s often a sign of exhaustion rather than a lack of willpower.

Lucy Kershaw, nutrition expert

If you have already quit, here is what actually helps

A short outdoor walk is better than no walk at all!

A short outdoor walk is better than no walk at all! (Credit: Getty)

Quitter’s Day can feel discouraging, but it can also be freeing. Letting go of unrealistic goals often makes space for habits that genuinely fit your life.

Experts consistently recommend:

Lowering the bar, short, consistent actions beat perfection
Anchoring new habits to things you already do, like stretching after your morning coffee
Focusing on what supports your body, rather than what you need to cut out
Allowing flexibility, missing a day does not undo your progress

Fitness expert Ellie Hoad, an ambassador for the European Mushrooms campaign, says January can be a helpful moment to return to basics rather than overhauling everything at once. She explains that focusing on simple, whole foods can support energy levels, while gentle movement helps rebuild momentum without adding pressure.

You don’t need a full gym programme to get back on track. Even a short walk outdoors is a positive step, and small changes really do add up.

Ellie Hoad, fitness expert

Cultivate a 'January mindset' that lasts beyond January

It's all about healthy, longer term habit building

It's all about healthy, longer term habit building (Credit: Getty)

Rather than seeing today as the moment everything fell apart, Quitter’s Day can be reframed as the moment you stop punishing yourself and start supporting yourself instead.

For parents especially, wellbeing has to work alongside family life, not compete with it. A reset does not need to be dramatic to be effective, it just needs to be realistic.

As Psychotherapist Sarie Taylor puts it, compassion is often the missing ingredient. When we stop treating slip-ups as failure, change becomes something we can return to again and again.

If January has already gone off-plan, today might actually be the best day to start again, this time on your own terms.

Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.