It’s New Year’s Resolution Time!

1/3/2014

The Top Resolutions, Resolution Statistics and Resolution Advice

New Year’s Day has come and gone, and tons of people are in the midst of dealing with their New Year’s resolutions. While it’s true many of these newly minted resolutions will fall by the wayside, it’s also true that people love to make them. Even if we don’t follow through with them all, we’re all in it together!

Resolutions We All Make

A lot of the resolutions that are popular this year have been front runners for years. For example, according to USA.gov, many people have resolved to:

• Lose weight and get in better shape
• Quit smoking
• Volunteer
• Get a better education or job
• Save more money
• Manage stress
• Eat more healthily
• Take trips
• Integrate more green habits to help the environment
• Drink less alcohol
• Manage debt 

Don’t those all sound familiar? Also, according to Pittsburgh.about.com, one resolution people want to achieve is to learn something new, such as learning a new language, getting a new hobby, reading a new book, or taking a new college course.

Resolutions We All Break

According to StatisticBrain, 45 percent of people will make resolutions, but only eight percent will successfully achieve their resolution. The number of people who fail is much higher; 49 percent have infrequent success, while 24 percent fail each year. There are just as many people who don’t make resolutions as those who do. StatisticBrain states that 38 percent of people never make resolutions.

But if you have made a resolution and are worried about keeping your vow going, the statistics are actually in your favor. Most people—75 percent—keep their resolution through the first week. Almost the same amount of people—71 percent—keep their resolution through the first two weeks, and 64 percent will keep their resolution through the first month. Then, although it gets more challenging, less than half of people who make resolutions—46 percent—end up keeping them.

A Little Advice

Resolutions are made in good faith. If you don’t make your resolutions stick, don’t be hard on yourself. It happens to everyone! However, those that are successful start slow. So, set yourself up for success by making a resolution that you can feasibly finish. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t make an unrealistic resolution, like losing 50 pounds in 1 month for your upcoming holiday in Mexico. Instead, choose a healthier metric like how you feel and whether your clothes fit differently. The scale doesn’t always reflect whether your efforts are working. If you keep goals realistic — and kind to yourself — you’re more likely to stick with them.