Stephanie Puente
By This Time Of Year, Approximately 80% Of People Have Abandoned Their New Year’s Resolutions. Where Are You With That?
Between abandoned resolutions and the onset of summer busyness, spring offers a powerful opportunity to reflect, realign, and take meaningful action toward what truly matters, according to Certified Life Mastery Coach Stephanie Puente.
We tend to put a lot of pressure on January. As the start of the calendar year, we treat it like it must also be the start of everything—our motivation, our changes, our big life moves. But what if January wasn’t meant to carry all that weight?
By this time of year, approximately 80% of people have abandoned their New Year’s resolutions. That doesn’t mean people aren’t serious about change—it simply means life happens, and old habits often take over before new ones fully form.
So, if the early part of the year hasn’t unfolded the way you imagined, what if you’re not behind at all? What if you’re exactly where you’re meant to be?
This stretch—after the energy of the new year fades but before summer activities pick up—is an incredibly valuable moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with your intentions. Not out of guilt, but through an honest check-in with yourself—tuning into what feels most resonant to you now.
The Myth of the Missed Window
We often believe the moment to begin has passed—that it’s too late for meaningful change. But transformation doesn’t rely on the calendar. It doesn’t need a clean slate or perfect timing.
According to research by Dr. Wendy Wood, a leading behavioral scientist and author, about 43% of our daily actions are driven by habit, performed with little or no conscious thought. Even when we genuinely want something to change, the gravitational pull of familiar routines can quietly keep things the same.
Real growth doesn’t happen by force. It starts with awareness—by recognizing what’s on autopilot and making space for something new.
Start by Tuning In
If you’ve felt frustrated, unsettled, or uncertain, I invite you to stop waiting for external circumstances to change. We can’t always immediately shift our situation, but we can pay attention to how we’re relating to it—with our thoughts, responses, and how we show up.
That discomfort you’re feeling? It’s not random. It’s feedback.
In my work, I describe longing and discontent as life’s way of getting our attention—and nudging us toward growth. Longing is the desire for something more—something you’d love to create or experience. Discontent points to areas where your life may no longer feel aligned, or where a sense of stagnation has set in. We can often downplay or overlook these inner cues, convincing ourselves that change just isn’t possible right now.
But the real invitation isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment. It’s to ask yourself: What do I truly want?
This is where transformation begins. As you engage with that question, something new emerges.
This Is the Time to Reclaim What Matters
Instead of seeing spring as a bridge between winter and summer, see it as a space worth claiming. Let it be a season to realign with what you genuinely want—not what’s expected or familiar, but what feels alive and purposeful to you right now.
As you ask yourself these questions—without needing all the answers—new ideas will begin to surface. When you take even one small, inspired step, the next one reveals itself. Meaningful change unfolds through focused momentum, one intentional action at a time.
Reflect on these questions:
- What did I say I wanted at the start of the year—and why?
- What am I drawn toward now?
- Where might I be telling myself “I can’t” because of outside circumstances?
- What is one small action I can take this week that aligns with what I truly want?
You haven’t missed your moment. Every moment is a fresh opportunity to move toward what matters to you.
Let this spring and summer season be your reset—a time of renewal. Not because everything is perfect, but because you’re willing to deeply listen and act on what’s ready to be reignited in your life now.
Sources:
• “Why New Year’s Resolutions Set You Up to Fail” – Psychology Today
• Wendy Wood, Ph.D. – Author of Good Habits, Bad Habits
