anything goes with emma chamberlain

do new years resolutions work?

December 28, 2025

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  • The effectiveness of New Year's resolutions hinges on setting realistic, specific goals with a clear understanding of the underlying reasoning and a concrete plan for execution. 
  • Emma Chamberlain found that resolutions related to physical activity (like hitting 10,000 steps) and consumption habits (like buying less stuff) were more successful because they were quantifiable or involved a clear mindset shift. 
  • Resolutions that were too broad, lacked clear intention, or demanded significant mental energy that was already depleted by work (like reading more books) tended to fail. 

Segments

Initial Stance on Resolutions
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The host’s initial perspective on New Year’s resolutions evolved from teenage nihilism to a more accepting, low-stakes approach in early adulthood.
  • Summary: As a teenager, Emma Chamberlain viewed New Year’s resolutions as idiotic, arguing that change should happen immediately rather than waiting for January 1st. This perspective was later softened, leading her to start writing resolutions again in 2023 as a low-pressure way to plant mindful seeds for the year. She views failure as inconsequential since most resolutions statistically fail anyway.
Reviewing 2023 Resolutions: Hobbies
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(00:04:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Enjoying hobbies is best achieved intuitively, without forcing participation for the sake of having them, as enjoyment should be the primary goal.
  • Summary: The resolution to find and lean into exciting hobbies was deemed successful, particularly physical ones like hot yoga, which stick better than sedentary artistic hobbies. Forcing participation because one feels they ’need’ hobbies defeats the purpose, which is enjoyment. Allowing hobbies to be intuitive and enjoyed only when in the mood led to greater fulfillment.
Reviewing 2023 Resolutions: Internet Fear
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(00:09:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The rational response to being a public figure is acknowledging fear of the internet, and progress comes from acting despite the fear, not eliminating it.
  • Summary: The resolution to build resilience against the internet and stop being scared was deemed unrealistic because fear is a valid, rational response to the unusual pressures of public life. True progress involved accepting the fear but choosing not to censor oneself or run away from online engagement.
Reviewing 2023 Resolutions: Social Media Use
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(00:12:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Successfully retraining the brain away from addictive scrolling platforms like TikTok towards healthier entertainment sources like YouTube or real-world activities is achievable.
  • Summary: The goal to use social media only for posting and retrain the brain away from passive scrolling was largely successful, significantly reducing time spent on TikTok, which had an algorithm built for addiction. Boredom is now often channeled into activities like watercolor, visiting markets, or cooking instead of mindless scrolling.
Reviewing 2023 Resolutions: Self-Worth and Spending
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(00:14:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Maturity shifts priorities, leading to the realization that personality and character outweigh stereotypical physical appearance in importance.
  • Summary: The resolution to associate less self-worth with physical appearance improved through maturation, recognizing that beauty is complex and personality ultimately wins out over looks. Furthermore, the resolution to spend money more thoughtfully succeeded by realizing the relief gained from decluttering and stopping impulse buying, leading to mindful consumption.
Reviewing 2023 Resolutions: Productivity and Anxiety
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(00:19:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Anxiety rooted in psychological issues, such as severe anxiety or potential OCD, requires more than simple mindfulness to overcome, necessitating ongoing work.
  • Summary: The resolution to be grateful for the present moment and stop stressing about the future remains a struggle because the underlying cause is complex psychological issues, not just a lack of mindfulness. The resolution to work on the treadmill while working was a life-changing discovery that combats the misery of a sedentary job.
Reviewing 2024 Resolutions: Reading and Movies
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(00:25:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Reading books is difficult to maintain as a resolution because it requires active mental work, which is often depleted by the end of a busy day.
  • Summary: The 2024 resolution to read more books failed because reading is perceived as ‘work’ that the brain resists after a day of professional tasks. Watching more movies was accomplished primarily through social engagement, but the host finds forcing movie consumption defeats the purpose of entertainment unless they are naturally drawn to a specific film.
Reviewing 2024 Resolutions: Structure and Time
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(00:30:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Successfully implementing structural changes, such as working only at a desk and not in bed, significantly improved daily life and productivity.
  • Summary: The resolution to stop working in bed, which previously led to six-hour work sessions ending late, was largely achieved, improving the separation between work and rest spaces. Improving overall time management, seeded in 2024, led to peak productivity in 2025, demonstrating that planting the seed is crucial for later success.
Reviewing 2025 Resolutions: Goals and Steps
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(00:35:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Specific, quantifiable goals, like achieving an 11,645 average daily step count in 2025, are highly effective resolutions that positively impact overall routine and well-being.
  • Summary: Maintaining clear life goals was achieved in 2025, and the resolution to walk 10,000 steps daily was overwhelmingly successful, averaging over 11,000 steps, which inspired more outdoor activity and multitasking. Intentional choices leading toward ultimate goals, like ending a relationship that didn’t align with future family goals, are part of the necessary journey, even if they feel like setbacks initially.
Conclusion and Future Podcast Schedule
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(00:43:34)
  • Key Takeaway: The key to successful New Year’s resolutions involves specificity, clear reasoning, and making a concrete plan, while future podcast output will decrease to allow for diversification into other entertainment mediums.
  • Summary: The analysis concluded that the most productive resolutions were specific (like the step count) or involved a clear mindset shift (like buying less stuff). To make time for learning and reading in 2026, the host will reduce the ‘anything goes with emma chamberlain’ podcast output from two episodes per week to one every Thursday. This change is intended to free up time to diversify entertainment offerings, particularly by focusing more on YouTube videos.