There is a massive difference between hoping or wishing for self improvement, or that something will change in our lives, and actively deciding to make changes in our lives.
New Year resolutions often fall into the wishing and hoping category. If we say 'I'd like to give up smoking' or 'I need to lose weight' or 'I really should get fit' or 'I should get a better job' our chances of success aren't great. Why not? The wording alone makes these more like a wish list of things that we think will make us happier if they happened. This is a bit like saying "I'd like to win the lottery" and the very lack of conviction makes their odds of success pretty similar.
