Lab Director Featured in Media Outlets on the Behaviour Science of New Year’s Resolutions

As we begin 2026, our lab is pleased to share that our lab director, Albert Malkin, has been featured in several media outlets discussing the behaviour science behind New Year’s resolutions and what it takes to make meaningful habit changes. 

Albert shared practical, research-informed insights into why the change we often seek at New Year’s is difficult and how people can approach it more effectively.  

For example, if you make your New Year’s resolution to go to the gym every day for an hour, having no pre-existing habit for exercise, it will be incredibly difficult and unlikely that you will achieve that goal. Resolutions like these often fail because these goals are too large or unrealistic.  

Moreover, we often don’t attend to the values guiding why we want to make changes in the first place, as well as the circumstances that make unhealthy habits more likely to persist. If we take the time to understand our habits before we change them, this makes change more achievable. As such, small, attainable goals and supportive environments are more effective than relying on “willpower” alone. If you never go to the gym or exercise, maybe start with something smaller, such as going on a long walk, exercising at home, or going to the gym once or twice a week. Once you achieve your goal and feel it’s become a habit, you can add additional small goals on top.  

Albert also mentions that setbacks are a normal part of the process of change and should not be viewed as failure. If the first time you skip the gym is something you see as a reason to completely give up, nothing will change. Attend to your thoughts, and remember they are just that – thoughts. They come and go, some will be helpful, and some won’t. We don’t need to take these literally. Try strategies like labelling these thoughts, for example, “I am having the thought that I’m failure”. This language puts some distance between you and your thoughts and keeps you from treating yourself poorly. Then remember that you will have plenty of chances to try again to do things that are important to you.  

Finally, while the new year can feel motivating, meaningful change can begin any day. If you want to read more about New Year’s Resolutions and goal setting, you can read or listen to Albert’s interviews below:  

Brandt, L. (2025). New Year. New You [Magazine interview]. Lifestyle Magazine. https://lifestylemagazineonline.com/new-year-new-you/ 

Cowan, S. (2025, December 28). Experts say small changes are key to successful New Year’s resolutions. [Television news interview]. CHCH Hamilton. https://www.chch.com/chch-news/experts-say-small-changes-are-key-to-successful-new-years-resolutions/ 

Goodison, R. (2025, December 31). Rigid goal-setting dooms New Year’s resolutions, Western professor says. [Newspaper article interview]. The London Free Press. https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/rigid-goal-setting-dooms-new-years-resolutions-western-professor-says 

London Morning with Andrew Brown (2025, December 22). Making sure your New Year's resolution sticks [Radio broadcast Interview]. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-158-london-morning/clip/16189035-making-sure-new-years-resolution-sticks 

Ward, K. (2025, December 31). How to make New Year’s resolutions stick [Television news interview]. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/video/11589505/how-to-make-new-years-resolutions-stick-2/

Zadorsky, J. (2025, December 16). Expert explainer: Why New Year’s resolutions aren’t the best way to change [Newsletter Interview]. Western News. https://news.westernu.ca/2025/12/new-years-resolutions-making-change/ 

We’re excited to see our lab’s values and Albert’s work reaching a wide audience! Congrats, Albert!