You'll know by January 7th whether you'll actually follow through this year—here are 8 early signs you're already self-sabotaging

We're seven days into the new year, and I'm sitting here with my coffee, looking at the workout app I downloaded on January 1st. Zero sessions logged. The meal prep containers I bought? Still in their Amazon box. That meditation streak I was going to start? Well, let's just say the app is still sending me those "We miss you!" notifications.

Sound familiar?

Here's what I've learned after years of watching my own patterns and those of others: by January 7th, you can already tell whether this is going to be your year of transformation or just another rerun. The signs are subtle, but they're there.

I discovered this truth the hard way back when I was still working as a financial analyst. Every January, I'd create elaborate spreadsheets for my goals (because that's what analysts do, right?). By the second week, I'd already be making excuses for why I hadn't started. It took me years to recognize the early warning signs of self-sabotage.

Let me share eight red flags that tell you you're already undermining your 2025 goals. If you spot these now, there's still time to course-correct.

1. You're still "preparing" to start

Are you telling yourself you'll begin once you have the perfect workout clothes, the right app, or after you finish researching the absolute best approach?

I call this the preparation trap. It feels productive because you're doing something related to your goal, but you're not actually doing the thing itself. I once spent three weeks researching running shoes before realizing I was using research as an excuse not to run.

When I finally started trail running, you know what shoes I wore? The old sneakers I already had in my closet. They worked just fine for those first few months.

If you're still in research mode a week into January, you're avoiding, not preparing. The uncomfortable truth? You already know enough to start. You're just scared to begin imperfectly.

2. You've already missed a day and feel like giving up

Maybe you planned to journal every morning, but on January 4th, you overslept. Now that perfect streak is broken, and part of you thinks, "What's the point?"

This all-or-nothing thinking killed more of my goals than I care to admit. In my perfectionist days, one missed workout meant the whole week was ruined. One slice of cake meant the diet was over.

Here's what changed everything for me: realizing that success isn't about perfection, it's about persistence. Missing one day doesn't erase your progress. But letting one missed day turn into a missed month? That's self-sabotage in action.

3. You're negotiating with yourself constantly

"I'll do it tomorrow." "Just this once won't hurt." "I deserve a break, it's been a tough week."

Do these internal negotiations sound familiar? When every commitment becomes a debate, you're already losing. I noticed this pattern in myself during those early January days when enthusiasm starts wearing off and reality sets in.

The goals that actually stick aren't the ones you negotiate with yourself about. They're the ones where you've decided, truly decided, that this is just what you do now. No debate needed.

4. You haven't told anyone about your goals

Keeping your goals secret might feel safer. If no one knows, no one can judge you if you fail, right?

But here's what I've observed: secret goals are abandoned goals. When I finally started sharing my intentions with others, even just casual mentions to friends, something shifted. The accountability, even if unspoken, made a difference.

You don't need to broadcast your goals on social media or make grand announcements. But if by January 7th you haven't mentioned your intentions to a single soul, ask yourself why you're keeping them hidden. Fear of judgment often masks fear of commitment.

5. Your environment hasn't changed at all

Walk through your living space right now. Does anything look different from December 31st? If you're trying to eat healthier, is your kitchen still stocked with the same tempting snacks? If you want to read more, are books visible and accessible, or is your coffee table still dominated by the TV remote?

During my years in finance, I watched colleagues fail at the same resolutions year after year. The successful ones? They changed their surroundings. One guy moved his alarm clock across the room so he had to get up to turn it off. Simple, but effective.

Your environment should make your good choices easier and your bad choices harder. If nothing in your space has shifted to support your goals, you're relying on willpower alone. And willpower always runs out.

6. You're already making backup plans

"If this doesn't work out, I can always try again in February." "Summer is really a better time to start anyway."

Catch yourself thinking like this? You're already planning your exit strategy. I know because I used to be the queen of backup plans. Having a Plan B felt responsible, but it was really just giving myself permission to quit Plan A.

Commitment means burning the boats. Not recklessly, but deliberately choosing to figure it out rather than bail out.

7. You're focusing on the outcome, not the process

If you spend more time fantasizing about the end result than actually doing the daily work, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

I learned this lesson hard when I started journaling at 36. I imagined myself as this wise, reflective person with profound insights. The reality? Those first months were mostly me complaining about my day and making grocery lists. But I kept showing up, focusing on the act of writing rather than the quality of what I wrote. Those 47 notebooks I've filled since then? They happened one mundane entry at a time.

Stop obsessing over where you'll be in December. Focus on what you're doing today.

8. You're making it too complicated

If explaining your new routine takes more than 30 seconds, you've overcomplicated it. Complex systems feel sophisticated, but they're usually the first to crumble under real-life pressure.

The sustainable changes in my life have all been embarrassingly simple. Walk for 30 minutes. Write three pages. Eat a vegetable with lunch. That's it. No apps, no tracking systems, no elaborate rules.

By January 7th, if you're still tweaking your system instead of just doing the thing, you're avoiding, not optimizing.

Final thoughts

Here's what I know after all these years of watching myself and others navigate change: January 7th isn't about how perfectly you've executed your resolutions. It's about recognizing these self-sabotaging patterns early enough to adjust.

If you saw yourself in any of these signs, good. Awareness is the first step. You haven't failed; you've just identified what needs to shift.

The year is still young. You can still make 2025 different. But it starts with being honest about these early warning signs and choosing to respond differently than you have in the past.

What matters isn't that you stumbled in the first week. What matters is what you do next.