Why Investing in Relationships Is a New Year's Resolution You'll Keep
The slow and quiet days after the holidays may be the best time to choose a resolution you’ll still be keeping in July.
Dec 28, 2025
Written by our Founder and Chairman, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
The days after Christmas and Hanukkah don’t feel like the rest of the year. The big moments have passed, but the kids are still home, work has slowed, and the house feels a little fuller than usual. Outside, it’s dark early, and there’s less pressure to be anywhere in a hurry.
This week is an in-between moment. It’s easy to let it slip by if you’re not paying attention. I like to think of these days as a gift of extra time, where nothing’s scheduled, and nothing feels urgent. There’s just time to be together.
This period invites reflection. Memories from the past year surface, along with questions about the one ahead. Did I spend my time the way I wanted to? What mattered more than I expected? What do I want to carry forward when life picks up speed again?
Those questions often lead to New Year’s resolutions and the inevitable challenge of keeping them once January gives way to February and beyond. I’ve struggled with that myself. Over the years, though, I’ve found a few ways to stay on track, and I’d like to share them with you.
Those questions often lead to New Year’s resolutions and the inevitable challenge of keeping them once January gives way to February and beyond. I’ve struggled with that myself. Over the years, I’ve found a few ways to stay on track, and I’d like to share them here.
Why resolutions so often fail
By now, most of us know how this story goes. We begin the year with ambitious resolutions, fueled by optimism and good intentions. “This will be the year I get in shape, eat better, save more money.” Sound familiar? Within weeks — sometimes days — many of those promises slip away. The cycle repeats itself year after year.
It’s tempting to blame a lack of discipline or willpower, but I don’t think that’s the whole story. More often than not, the problem isn’t a lack of effort; it’s how we frame the resolution from the very beginning.
We tend to ask too much of ourselves, too quickly. We aim for sweeping change instead of manageable steps. The goals are big, rigid, and disconnected from the realities of daily life. When progress doesn’t show up immediately, discouragement sets in.
A better approach is to start small. Break a big challenge into more manageable pieces. If the goal is better health, begin with a short daily walk. If it’s saving money, start by setting aside a modest amount each week. These steps may feel simple, but that’s the point.
Real change doesn’t arrive in dramatic leaps but builds through small, sustainable actions taken consistently over time. When we focus on progress instead of perfection, we give ourselves a far better chance to succeed.
Relationship resolutions
If you’re looking for a resolution that delivers the greatest return, consider investing in your relationships. Few choices offer more impact for so little effort. Both research and experience point to the same conclusion: Strong relationships sit at the center of a healthy, fulfilling life.
As I’ve written in many Celebrations Pulse letters, scientists have found that strong social ties reduce stress, improve physical and mental health, and protect us against loneliness. They also support every other goal we care about, from career growth to emotional resilience.
And yet, despite knowing all of this, many of us feel more disconnected than ever. Life gets busy, responsibilities stack up, and time moves faster than we expect. Most relationships don’t end with a blowup or a falling out. Instead, they fade quietly when we stop tending to them.
That’s why choosing to focus on relationships makes for a strong foundational resolution. When our connections are strong, everything else feels more manageable.
A personal experience
Years ago, during an especially demanding stretch of my life, I realized that good intentions weren’t enough. I cared deeply about the people in my life, but that care wasn’t translating into consistent action.
One January, I decided to make a change. I built a simple system to help myself stay in touch on a regular basis. Each day, I reached out to one person. Sometimes it was a quick phone call. Other times, a short note or message.
What surprised me was how effective my connectivity calendar” became. The effort was small, and the impact was immediate: Conversations deepened, relationships strengthened, and I felt back on track with the people who mattered most.
An invitation to think differently
As the new year begins, I hope you take time to reflect on all the relationships you have and want to have. As my friend Dr. George S. Everly, Jr., says: “Nurture the relationships you have, rekindle the relationships you’ve lost, and create the relationships you wish you had.”
It’s a great New Year’s resolution — and one that’s simple enough that you won’t be abandoning it after a few weeks. Don’t start with a sweeping goal; start with a person who will appreciate hearing from you.
That single act of connection can become a habit. And that habit can quietly shape the year ahead in ways no other resolution ever could.
Happy New Year!
Jim
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AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
