Why productivity hacks and resolutions fail

Most people don't really want to change, they want to have changed.

When people profess a clear desire to change, that usually means they are interested in change as an outcome rather than change as a process. 

The mere thought of change is threatening and frightening, which is why we gravitate toward the familiar and are generally happier with the devil we know. We make our environments as predictable as possible

Our personality constrains our ability to change, limiting our likelihood of replacing old habits with new ones. 

This is not to say that people can’t change, but they either become exaggerated versions of their earlier selves, or follow a common maturity curve that makes them less open to new experiences.