> Despite the replication crisis in social science and behavioural economics, this was an effect that we immediately verified in our own user data at Lifesum. People began diets at the start of a new year, around their birthdays, and at the start of a new month. Even within a week, there was a micro-effect: people used us more on Mondays, and then usage would taper off over the week.<p>I started my fitness journey around the time I turned 30 years old. I don't know why, I just somehow decided to do Couch to 5K, and from there it turned into something that I really enjoy and spend a lot of time doing.<p>That said, I'm a _little_ skeptical about the premise here, which, if I'm reading it correctly, is that "people start things and don't finish them." I guess that's true -- certainly of myself -- but OP is talking from the perspective of Lifesum, a dieting app.<p>My mind goes to this question: if people use Lifesum on Mondays and then drop off, is that the fault of the customers or the fault of the app?<p>To put it a different way, I exercise every day. I watch what I eat. I'm in very good shape. But sometimes I think "I should track my calories," so I download LoseIt or MyFitnessPal or something else. And I track my calories for... a week, maybe two, maybe three.<p>In real life? Still eating healthy, still exercising daily, still enjoying my fitness journey.<p>On the app? Gone. I've dropped off.<p>Why did I drop off? There are probably a few things.<p>One is that I am possibly not the target demographic. (Although, am I? As a fitness person that is tracking macros religiously, shouldn't these apps be critical for my success?)<p>Another is that I just lack the discipline to track my food and diet. But that can't be true, either, can it? I've exercised in some form or fashion every day for the last 1843 days. I read every day. I call my parents twice a week every week. I have discipline to follow schedules and plans that I stick to.<p>A third is that I just don't care enough. This feels most likely to me. I'm doing well in my fitness journey. The app doesn't provide enough value to me. I don't _need_ it and it feels like extra cruft getting in the way of my enjoyment of life.<p>I'm not saying OP is wrong, but I'm offering an alternative view: maybe it's not that people can't stick with resolutions and that temporal milestones are, well, temporary. Maybe it's that we're making the wrong resolutions in the first place. Or perhaps that the tools that exist to tackle the "wrong" resolutions aren't sufficient.<p>Anyway, just my two cents.