How Often Do People Keep a New Year’s Promise? How Can You Make Resolutions that You Can Keep?
2024 is almost behind us and many of us are starting to think about what we might do differently in the new year. Maybe commit to a fitness regimen or lose some weight? Stop smoking or learn to play the guitar? The turn of the calendar gives most of us pause to reflect and typically leads us to look for ways to improve our lives. How often do we keep those resolutions that we make in the waning days and hours of December? What can we do to increase the likelihood that we’ll actually make commitments we can keep?
What Are the Most Common New Year’s Resolutions?
As a general rule, most New Year’s resolutions involve lifestyle changes. Among the most frequent are those related to health, including commitments to eat better, lose weight, start an exercise program, drink more water, stop smoking or drinking, or get outside more often. Many people express a desire to spend more time with friends and family, get a better work-life balance, find a new job or even take steps to start a new career. Financial resolutions are also common, including creating an investment portfolio, saving more money or spending less.
Do People Really Keep Their New Year’s Resolutions?
A study by the Pew Research Center found that nearly nine of every ten people who made New Year’s resolutions stuck with at least one for at least a month and that more than half kept all their promises for at least a month. Research by the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University found, however, that one of every four people don’t make it a week with their resolutions and that only 9% actually do what they promise.
Why Are New Year’s Resolutions So Hard to Keep?
Behavioral experts cite a number of common reasons why most people can’t keep their New Year’s resolutions:
- Their goals are too aggressive—Experts say goals should be attainable, but not too easy. Furthermore, if you have a significant goal…losing 50 pounds, for example…you’ll be more likely to stick with it if you set interim goals to lose 5 or 10 pounds.
- Too many people try to do it entirely on their own—To successfully meet most goals, it helps to have someone who will hold you accountable. If you make a resolution, but don’t share it with anyone, you have no one to keep you in check when you want to give up.
- People don’t anticipate obstacles—If it was easy, you would have done it a long time ago. Regardless of your resolution, there will be unexpected challenges. Don’t be surprised by them…plan for them.
- People aren’t clear about why they want to make the change—If you’re just making a resolution because it’s what everyone does at the end of the year, chances are good you won’t keep it. If you have a good reason for making the change…you want to lose weight so that you can move better on the tennis court…there’s a greater likelihood you’ll stick with it.
