Most New Year’s resolutions fail.
Not because people aren’t motivated, but because motivation alone doesn’t build momentum.
In business, the stakes are even higher. Missed goals don’t just mean a few kilos not lost or gym sessions skipped - they lead to culture drift, stalled strategies, and disengaged teams.
So why do bold goals fade by February, or at best, March?
And what can you do to make change stick?
Resolutions Without Routines Are Just Wishful Thinking
Very soon social feeds will be full of business “away days,” strategic retreats, and bucket lists for the year ahead.
At G2 Innovation, we’re all for bold thinking. But big ideas without structured action are like setting fitness goals without changing your habits.
Just like individuals who invest in trainers, apps, or expert advice to follow through on personal resolutions - leaders and teams need support systems to build new habits, not just new intentions.
That doesn’t mean working harder. It means working smarter, together.
“Act Small to Go Big” - How Real Change Happens
One of the most important lessons we share with leaders is this:
“Act small to go big.”
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by lofty targets - whether that’s a cultural transformation or a 12-month strategy.
But real progress comes from breaking the mountain down into clear, daily and weekly steps:
What will you do this week to move closer to that big goal?
What will your team own together, and how will you stay aligned?
How will you track it, review it, adapt?
Tools like Trello or Monday.com can help; but the real power lies in your mindset and rituals. Having goals without mindset and rituals is a little like making a cake without an egg – there’s nothing to hold it all together and help the team rise to the challenge.
Mindset Before Skillset: The Real Reason Change Fails
A common trap we see in workplaces: a flurry of energy after strategy days, followed by silence by March.
Why? Because the focus has been on execution without considering mindset.
You can teach collaboration techniques or agile methods, but if your team’s mindset hasn’t shifted, the habits won’t stick.
Lasting change requires:
A culture of shared ownership
The courage to lean into discomfort
Leaders who look beyond the first horizon and play the long game
So if your team members are more focussed on their own success than the team’s, fear failure, avoid having conversations that matter and/or have a short-term viewpoint, then it doesn’t matter what the strategy doc says, you’ll ultimately start stalling before the first quarter is through.
If you want your team to collaborate better, innovate faster, or lead more effectively, it doesn’t start with tools - it starts with how people think.
Support Makes It Stick
According to Psychology Today, people who succeed at sticking with their resolutions almost always get support. Individuals wanting to stick to their diet, might enlist a friend or a trainer.
In business, that support might come from a colleague, another team, a coach - or an outside partner who brings clarity, structure and energy to your goals. Our core advice - find someone who can also help you adjust the team’s mindset. This isn’t easy work, but you rarely get ripped abs without a trainer and likewise, you won’t get a team thinking differently without a coach who can demonstrate why change is needed, and what it looks like.
Change is messy. But it doesn’t have to be lonely.
Ready to Make This Year Different?
If you’re ready to build a team that doesn’t just set goals, but knows how to reach them - consider this your nudge.
We’re running a powerful workshop on Leading Human-Centred Change - designed specifically for people who want to shift not just what they do, but how they think.
No hype. No fluff. Just practical frameworks, sharp insights, and space to explore how your leadership can shape culture in 2026 and beyond.
Sound like something your team needs?