From Resolutions to Results: Checking In on Year-End Goals

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As we’re already a solid few weeks into the year—enough time to feel the weight of those shiny New Year’s resolutions we scribbled down in a champagne-fueled haze. Remember that bold promise to “crush it” this year—hit those sales targets, roll out that big project, or finally get the team firing on all cylinders? Yeah, how’s that going? If you’re anything like most folks, the initial buzz might be fading, and the reality of turning resolutions into results is settling in. But here’s the good news: it’s not too late to check in, recalibrate, and make this the year you actually deliver.

This isn’t about shaming the slip-ups—we’re human, not robots. It’s about taking a beat to see where those year-end goals stand, why some are wobbling, and how to pivot from wishful thinking to tangible wins. Whether you’re a leader eyeballing company KPIs or an HR pro nudging team performance, let’s unpack the art of checking in on those resolutions and turning them into results that stick.

The Resolution Reality Check

Let’s start with the stats: only 9% of people fully nail their New Year’s resolutions, per a 2023 University of Scranton study. That’s grim, right? By February, about 80% have already ditched the gym memberships and diet plans—or, in work terms, the “streamline ops” or “boost engagement” vows. Why? Because resolutions are easy to dream up—big, bold, Instagram-worthy—but results? Those take grit, focus, and a plan that doesn’t crumble at the first hurdle.

Take a typical goal: “Grow revenue by 20%.” Sounds sexy on January 1st, but by now, you might be staring at a flat Q1 forecast, wondering where the magic went. Or maybe it’s “improve team morale”—noble, sure, but if the vibe’s still meh, what’s the disconnect? The gap between resolutions and results isn’t laziness—it’s often a mix of vague targets, life’s chaos, and no real check-in rhythm. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and dig in.

Step 1: The Honest Check-In

First things first: where are you at? Not where you want to be—where you are. Grab those goals—personal, team, or company-wide—and lay them out. Be brutal. If you aimed to launch a new product by March but the prototype’s still a sketch, own it. If “upskill the team” is stuck because no one’s booked a training, admit it. No judgment—just clarity.

Try this: score each goal from 1 to 10. How’s progress? A 3 might mean you’ve barely started; an 8 says you’re cruising. One leader I know does this monthly with her team—sticky notes on a whiteboard, no fluff. It’s raw, visual, and forces the truth out. Numbers don’t lie, and they’ll show you what’s humming and what’s stalled.

Ask: What’s working? What’s not? Maybe “cut costs by 10%” is on track because you renegotiated a vendor deal—nice. But “increase collaboration” might be tanking because everyone’s still siloed. Jot it down. This isn’t a postmortem—it’s a pulse check.

Step 2: Diagnose the Drift

Goals don’t derail on their own—something’s throwing them off. Time to play detective. Here’s what often trips us up:

Vague Vibes: “Be more innovative” sounds cool but means zilch without specifics. Did you mean “launch two new features” or “host a hackathon”? Fuzzy goals fade fast.
Overload: Piling 10 resolutions on your plate when you can barely handle three? Classic trap. A 2024 Gallup poll found 62% of workers feel swamped by competing priorities—sound familiar?
No Buy-In: If the team didn’t sign up for “boost productivity by 15%,” they’re not busting their hump for it. Solo crusades rarely win.
Life Happens: A client crisis, a sick kid, a snowstorm—just like that, your “write a white paper” goal’s on ice.

Pinpoint the snag. One HR pro I chatted with realized her “revamp onboarding” goal stalled because she didn’t block time—emails ate her days. Diagnosis done, fixable.

Step 3: Recalibrate, Don’t Abandon

Here’s where the magic happens: tweak, don’t trash. Resolutions aren’t set in stone—they’re clay. If “grow sales by 20%” feels like a stretch with a shaky economy, dial it to 12% and double down on retention. If “train the team” hit a budget wall, swap pricey courses for peer-led sessions. It’s not failure—it’s flexing.

Break it down, too. Big goals scare people; small wins don’t. “Launch a product” becomes “finalize specs by March 15th,” then “test by April 1st.” A 2023 Stanford study says chunking goals boosts completion rates by 30%—it’s science, not fluff. One sales team I know turned “hit $1M” into “close five deals a month”—suddenly, it’s a game they can play.

And timelines? Reset them if needed. February’s not December—seven weeks in, you’ve got runway. Push that “roll out new software” from Q1 to Q2 if the vendor’s lagging. Just don’t let it drift into “someday.”

Step 4: Rally the Crew

Goals aren’t solo missions—teams make them real. Loop everyone in: share the check-in, own the hiccups, ask for input. “Hey, we’re at a 4 on collaboration—where’s the jam?” Maybe they’ll flag too many meetings or a clunky tool. A 2024 Deloitte survey says 73% of engaged teams feel heard—buy-in’s your booster shot.

Assign roles, too. If “improve client feedback” is the goal, make Sarah the survey czar and Mike the follow-up guy. Clarity kills confusion. And celebrate early wins—did costs drop 5% already? Call it out. Momentum’s a drug—spread it.

Step 5: Build the Rhythm

One check-in’s cute; a system’s clutch. Set a cadence—monthly, quarterly, whatever fits. Block it on the calendar: “Goal Pulse, March 22nd, 10 a.m.” Make it quick—30 minutes to recap, tweak, rally. One CEO I know does “Friday Five”—five minutes every week to ping the team: “Where are we?” It’s light, it’s tight, it works.

Track it, too. A shared doc, a Trello board, even a Slack channel—keep the goals alive, not buried in a January email. Visibility’s accountability’s best friend.

The Payoff: Results, Not Regrets

Why bother? Because drifting into December with a pile of “almosts” sucks. Checking in now turns resolutions into results—sales spike, projects ship, teams gel. A 2023 Harvard Business Review piece found teams that revisit goals mid-year outperform one-and-doners by 22%. It’s not rocket science—it’s discipline.

And the vibe shift? Huge. When people see progress—however small—they lean in. That “we’ve got this” energy snowballs. For leaders, it’s a legacy flex: you didn’t just set goals; you delivered. For HR, it’s a talent magnet: who doesn’t want to join a crew that wins?

Wrapping It Up

Today is your wake-up call—not to mourn resolutions, but to morph them. Check in hard, diagnose the drift, recalibrate smart, rally the team, and lock in the rhythm. From “grow revenue” to “land $50K this quarter”—that’s the shift from wish to win. Don’t let 2025 be another “should’ve”—make it the year you bridge the gap from resolutions to results. Seven weeks down, 45 to go—plenty of time to turn intent into impact.

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Tresha Moreland

Tresha Moreland is a 30-year organizational effectiveness and strategic workforce planning expert. She partners with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results. She has held key organizational leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Tresha is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC (www.hrcsuite.com). HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results. She has received a master’s degree in human resource management (MS) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification. She is also recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.