Your One Word for the Year: Devotion

Most people approach the new year with a long list of resolutions.

Eat better. Train harder. Be more productive. Stress less. Sleep more.

The intention is good, but the data shows the approach is flawed. Research consistently finds that most New Year’s resolutions fail within the first few weeks, not because people lack discipline, but because the system relies too heavily on motivation and too many goals at once.

That’s why this year, instead of setting dozens of goals, I’m choosing one word: Devotion.

Download your One Word Worksheet Here

Why New Year’s Resolutions Often Fail

Studies on New Year’s resolutions show that while motivation is high in January, consistency drops quickly. Approximately 77% of people adhere to their resolutions after one week, but this number drops to around 55% after one month and to roughly 43% after three months. Long-term success rates are even lower, with only about 9–12% of people reporting that they fully achieve their resolution.

The issue isn’t effort. It’s an overload.

When people try to change too many things at once, commitment weakens, and follow-through suffers. Behavioral research shows that pursuing multiple goals simultaneously reduces persistence compared to focusing on a single priority.

A Simpler Approach: One Word

The One Word framework offers an alternative. Instead of chasing outcomes, you choose a single word that acts as a filter for decisions, habits, and behavior throughout the year.

Your word isn’t a goal.
It’s a compass.

For me, that word is Devotion.

I define devotion as showing up with care and consistency, even when it’s uncomfortable, unseen, or inconvenient. Devotion isn’t about intensity or perfection. It’s about commitment without negotiation.

Why Identity and Values Matter

Research in behavioral psychology shows that goals tied to identity and values last longer than outcome-based goals. When behavior supports who you believe you are, persistence increases — especially during stress.

In one study, simply framing an action as part of someone’s identity increased follow-through by 10–15% compared to action-based language alone. In other words, people are more likely to act in alignment with who they are becoming than what they are trying to accomplish.

Devotion works because it answers the question:
Who am I committed to being, even on hard days?

Habits Over Motivation

Another reason resolutions fail is unrealistic timelines. Research shows that habits take an average of 66 days to become automatic, with some taking much longer depending on complexity. If a plan relies on constant motivation, it rarely survives long enough to become a habit.

Devotion shifts the focus from motivation to consistency. It emphasizes showing up in small, repeatable ways that compound over time.

This aligns with research showing that small habit-based changes lead to better long-term outcomes than dramatic resets. In one study, participants who adopted simple, repeatable habits experienced significantly greater long-term results than those attempting larger overhauls.

Why Awareness Beats Perfection

Self-monitoring is another key factor. Research shows that tracking behaviors — even imperfectly — improves adherence by 30–40%. Awareness alone changes behavior.

This isn’t about control or restriction. It’s about staying connected to your intention.

A word like devotion gives that awareness context. It becomes a daily check-in:
Does this choice align with how I want to show up?

Living Your Word

Your One Word should apply everywhere:

• In health: choosing consistency over extremes
  
  
• In work: honoring commitments over convenience
  
  
• In relationships: presence over distraction
  
  

Devotion doesn’t mean doing more.
It means doing what matters — more consistently.

Final Thought

New Year’s resolutions ask, What do I want to achieve?
One Word asks, Who am I devoted to becoming?

When life gets busy, stressful, or unpredictable, goals often disappear. Values remain.

Health, growth, and leadership that survive real life are built on devotion — not motivation.

Citations

• Norcross et al., Journal of Clinical Psychology
  
  
• Lally et al., European Journal of Social Psychology
  
  
• Bryan et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  
  
• Burke et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine