“If you look really closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”

So said Steve Jobs, one of the most successful entrepreneurs of modern times.

You may already know Jobs’ words to be true. It probably took many years to build your career, whether you’re a business owner or a successful professional. But when January rolls around, it’s very easy to be caught up in the wave of new year resolutions.

While the idea that a fresh start could change everything overnight is tempting, most resolutions fall flat – in fact, research from Centric Mental Health suggests that up to 80% of new year resolutions are abandoned by February.

But what’s the alternative? Let’s dig into the difference between “solutions” and “resolutions” as the new year begins.

Any issue worth solving can’t be rectified overnight

We’ve all tried it – a no-carb diet or a shiny exercise regime that is “bound to change your life” once January arrives.

When the day comes, you’re exhausted from a busy festive season, and overhauling your lifestyle doesn’t feel as achievable.

The same goes for your professional life. Perhaps you have taken time off over the holidays, vowing to return and do things differently in the year ahead.

Some common new year resolutions for professionals include:

• Maintaining a stricter work-life balance
• Learning to delegate better
• Attending more networking events
• Starting to embrace AI
• Earning more and spending less.

Remove the new year from the equation altogether, and it would normally seem unachievable to make any of these resolutions happen right off the bat. You need a plan, consistent effort, and a fair amount of trial and error to get many of them right (whatever that means for you).

So remember, as we begin a new year, not to fall for the fallacy of new year resolutions. Instead, focus on solutions you can implement at any time and over the long term.

How to implement solutions, not resolutions, for your career or business

Adopting the “solutions not resolutions” mindset consists of a few basic steps:

• Acknowledge you can make changes at any time, not just in the new year
• Spend some time thinking carefully about what is required to make your plan work
• Ask yourself the question: “Is this shift sustainable over the long term?”
• Set a realistic time frame for the change to happen – this may even be several years.

Let’s use a workable example.

Gareth is a 50-year-old business owner who wishes to step back from the full-time operations of his construction business. He has just welcomed a grandchild and wants to spend more time with his family and less time on-site.

He is tempted to set the following new year resolution: spend three days a week at the office instead of five days, starting in the first week of January.

Upon examining how this would happen in practice, though, Gareth realises that his team would struggle to cope if he made this change overnight. His company’s processes still rely on his presence five days a week; to keep the business running smoothly, this change would need to be gradual.

Over Christmas, Gareth makes a thoughtful plan to implement this solution. He decides to:

• Reduce his working hours gradually, aiming to work three days a week by June 2027
• State his intentions to his team in January 2026, so everyone is working towards a common goal
• Start delegating his tasks to senior members of the team, analysing who is ready to step up
• Wait until he is confident in these new processes before communicating the change to his customers
• Budget a small margin of error into the business’s fiscal plan in case of teething problems.

That’s the “solutions, not resolutions” mindset in action.

Work with us to benefit from long-term advice

Our financial planners know that overnight success is exceedingly rare. For the most part, the successful people you know haven’t discovered the ultimate trick for building wealth – they have been consistent.

We can help you grow your personal wealth, protect what you love, and retire with the peace of mind you need.

Email us at clients@iqf.ie, or call +353 71 915 5560.

Please note

This article is for information only. It does not constitute advice.

It describes financial planning services that iQ Financial can offer to you. Financial planning services are not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.