When penning New Year's resolutions at the start of 2026, it would have been difficult to predict how the first six months of the year would unfold, especially for many living in the UAE and wider region.
And when outside circumstances change – especially in ways that challenge one's sense of control and safety – so do priorities. “Many people have experienced uncertainty that they simply couldn't have predicted this year. The goals they set in January may no longer reflect the reality of their lives in July,” says financial well-being coach Beth Clay.
Yet, even without global upheaval, a lot can happen in the months after an optimistic start to a year. “Six months can bring significant changes in our lives, including new responsibilities, different priorities and a better understanding of ourselves,” says Lauren Rozario, counsellor at Peninsula Psychology. By July, most people's lives are more lived-in.
As the year reaches its halfway point, many coaching, wellness and therapeutic experts invite their clients to pause and reflect. If your New Year's resolutions haven't gone according to plan, perhaps it's time to adopt midyear resolutions built on realism instead.
The 'fresh start effect'
Even those who have vowed to never make a New Year's resolution again often find themselves sucked in by the appeal when January rolls around. Data collected by Pew Research in 2024 suggests that as many as one-third of adults make resolutions each year. That number rises to nearly 50 per cent among those aged 18 to 29.
“The beginning of the year gives people a strong psychological sense of permission to start again,” says clinical psychologist and neuroscientist Nargiza Noimann Zander. Resolutions can feel powerful not only because new markers of time bring hope, but also because they encourage us to leave disappointments and hurt behind.
It's what Rozario refers to as the “fresh start effect”, saying that the beginning of the year “creates a sense of a clean slate and gives people renewed motivation”, adding that the desire to grow is “deeply human”.
Celebrating small wins
According to data from Pew, diet, fitness and finances are among the most common resolutions, followed by career goals and a focus on personal hobbies.
Yet, be it money saving or healthy eating, outward-facing ambitions tend to reflect “a deeper emotional wish”, says Zander. This is why it can feel painful when they don't go as imagined, and why it's important not to write resolutions off if you're not on track by the middle of the year.
Despite progress or a lack thereof, revisiting resolutions can still be beneficial. Jessie Seleio, Pilates instructor, trainer and team lead at Real Pilates, says: “Reflection allows us to celebrate achievements that might otherwise go unnoticed.” For instance, maybe you mustered the courage to go to a new class by yourself for the first time, even if you didn't go back.
“Even if someone hasn't fully achieved their goal, they may have developed healthier habits, greater self-awareness or made meaningful progress that deserves recognition,” Seleio adds. Identifying what has worked well and what hasn't helps shift the focus from success or failure to continuous growth.
“When people learn to acknowledge effort as well as outcomes, they're far more likely to stay motivated,” says Chloe Minet, director at wellness hub Dryp. Celebrating even the smallest win can help to reinforce future behaviour.
Clay echoes the sentiment, giving the example of opening a savings account, even if it hasn't accumulated as much as you hoped. Far from insignificant, these small wins are evidence that your habits are changing. “And a change in behaviour always leads to results. What I find is we so often judge ourselves by the finish line and overlook the progress we've already made,” she says.
Breaking bad-habit setting
For Clay, working to “eliminate self-judgment and guilt” is a key part of her role as a coach. For clients who haven't hit their fitness goals, Minet shares the same message: “The first thing I say is: let go of the guilt.” This extra layer of pressure can be counterproductive to meaningful change.
“Abandoning a goal does not automatically mean someone is lazy or undisciplined,” Zander adds. Each year, as many as 91 per cent of people give up their New Year's resolutions by February. Doing so is the norm. “Many people set goals as if they have unlimited energy, perfect sleep, no interruptions and a stable routine. Then real life arrives.”
clinical psychologist and neuroscientist
Losing track is more likely to reflect overambitious goal-setting, lack of clarity or resolutions built on arbitrary goalposts.
These are questions to be faced with curiosity rather than guilt, says Zander. “Ask: What made me stop? Was the goal too vague? Was the first step too hard?”
Most importantly, she invites people to explore: “Was this goal really mine, or was I trying to match someone else’s idea of success? Because at some point, self-improvement can quietly become another way of rejecting yourself.”
“There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to grow,” adds Rozario. “But continuous optimisation can create the impression that every aspect of life should always be improved, measured or made more productive.”
Midsummer dreaming
Despite what has happened over the past six months, assessing, refining or even changing goals is a valuable exercise, often bringing people closer to where or who they want to be.
“The people who achieve genuine long-term financial success aren't necessarily the most disciplined. They're often the ones who keep going after setbacks instead of deciding they've failed,” says Clay.
While the tradition of making resolutions on New Year's Day is deeply ingrained, there is no reason that this ritual can't be moved to July 1. There is also an argument that the summer is a better time to try something new.
“People often associate a fresh start with January, but summer can be just as powerful,” says Minet. “The season naturally encourages a more social and open mindset. People travel more, embrace new experiences, and that openness can extend to wellness habits.”
This can be especially true when it comes to new fitness regimens. “Summer tends to be a quieter time in the city. With schools closed and many residents travelling, schedules can feel less hectic, giving people more time to focus on themselves and establish new routines,” says Seleio.
But the argument for midyear resolutions goes beyond the practicalities of routines and schedules. As Rozario puts it, “The middle of the year offers us something January cannot: experience.”
Taking this time to acknowledge what has changed, whether it's circumstances or priorities, can help people reinvest energy more wisely and consciously in the months ahead. “Hope becomes much more sustainable when it is grounded in reality,” she adds.
“Sometimes changing the goal shows that a person is becoming more honest about their life,” says Zander. “A realistic goal does not reduce ambition. It gives ambition somewhere to stand.”
