Hey Friend!

Every January, millions of Americans sit down and say,
“This is the year I get my money together.”

And they’re not wrong for wanting that.

This year about 97% of people who set New Year’s resolutions include a financial goal.
Last year, the #1 resolution was “make more money.”
This year, it’s “save more money.”

Over 70% of resolution-makers want to save more.
Almost half want to spend less.
About 40% want to pay down debt or improve their credit.

So if you feel behind, discouraged, or like you’re the only one struggling, you’re not.
You’re actually in the majority.

But here’s the hard truth:

Only about 9% of people actually stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

That’s not because people are lazy.
It’s because most goals are vague, emotional, and unsupported by systems.

So instead of just hoping this year is different, here’s 3 science-backed mechanisms that will help you actually follow through on your plan.

1. Use Implementation Intentions (Not Motivation)

Backed by: Dr. Peter Gollwitzer (NYU), decades of behavioral psychology research

Finding:
People who use “if–then” plans are 2–3x more likely to follow through than those who set vague goals.

Why it works:
Motivation fails when friction shows up.
“If–then” planning removes decision-making in the moment — which is where most people quit.

Instead of: “I’ll Save More Money This Year”

Use: “If my paycheck hits on Friday, then $200 is transferred to saving the same day.”

“If I want to buy something over $100, then I wait 48 hours.”

Your brain doesn’t argue with a pre-written script.

Money takeaway:
Every financial resolution that you’re trying to accomplish should have at least one if–then rule attached to it.

2. Shrink the Goal Until It’s Almost Embarrassing

Backed by: BJ Fogg (Stanford Behavior Design Lab)

Finding:
Consistency beats intensity. Tiny behaviors wire habits faster than big goals.

Why it works:
Big goals trigger threat and avoidance.
Small actions trigger success and repetition, which builds identity.

Instead of: “I’m going to get out of debt”

Start with: “I will log into my bank app every Sunday night.”

“I will pay one extra dollar toward my debt.”

Once behavior becomes identity (“I’m someone who checks my money weekly”), scale follows naturally.

Money takeaway:
If a goal feels motivating but not inevitable, it’s too big.

3. Add a Cost to Failure (Commitment Devices)

Backed by: Behavioral economics (Thaler & Sunstein), loss aversion research

Finding:
Humans are far more motivated to avoid loss than to pursue gain.

Why it works:
Willpower is unreliable. Stakes are not.

Examples that actually work:

• Tell your spouse/friend your goal and a penalty

• Publicly commit (even a small group chat counts)

• Automate money so opting out feels like losing progress

Research shows commitment devices significantly increase follow-through, especially with savings and debt goals.

Money takeaway:
If failing your goal costs nothing, your brain will choose comfort every time.

Final Thought

Most people don’t need another financial goal.

They already know they should save more, spend less, and get out of debt.

What they’re missing is this:

A resolution that doesn’t change your daily behavior is just a wish with better branding.

If your goal doesn’t tell you:

• what happens automatically

• what happens when life gets messy

• and what it costs you to quit

then January will feel hopeful… and March will look exactly like last year.

Real financial change isn’t about starting strong on January 1.
It’s about building goals that work when motivation disappears.

So don’t ask yourself,
“Do I want this badly enough?”

Ask yourself,
“Did I design this to survive real life?”

Because the people who win with money aren’t more disciplined —
they’re just better engineers of their own behavior.

That’s it for this year!

As always, let me know if there is anything I can do!

Best,