Another Year, Another Resolution
It's that time of year again. Time to make more resolutions. But this year we're going to keep them... right? Well, if the statistics are correct, we probably won't. But what do the stats actually say about New Year's Resolutions? The answers might surprise you...
Who Makes Resolutions?
Before looking at what resolutions people make, we should probably start with who is making them? And if we look back at 2024, surveys showed that 3 out of 10 Americans made resolutions and the largest group making them are the 18-29 year olds (49%).
Who Makes Resolutions?
If we move up into the 30 to 49-year-old range, 31% made a resolution. And of those aged 50+, 21% committed to a resolution last year.
So, what are the most popular resolutions for 2025?
Reduce Spending: 9%
Food, energy, gas... 9% of people making resolutions, resolved to make 2025 a year of reduced spending on living expenses.
More Time With Friends/Family: 14%
With our busy lives, sometimes it's our friends and family that get the short end of the stick when it comes to our time. Well, 14% of resolution-makers want to change that this year.
Resolution Pressure
Before we get to the next most popular resolution, we wanted to point out the statistics on resolution pressure. And the fact that 62% of people who made resolutions last year felt pressured to do so.
Resolution Pressure
64% of women said they felt pressure to make a resolution—compared to 60% of men.
Resolution Pressure
As far as age groups go, it was Gen Z who felt most pressured (39%).
Now back to the resolutions.
Lose Weight: 15%
15% set their sights on shedding a few pounds. Which rolls right into the next one on the list...
Exercise More: 17%
Part in parcel with losing weight is often a dedication, or re-dedication, to hitting the gym.
Healthy Eating: 19%
You aren't going to get full value from the gym if you don't change your eating habits, right?
18-24
When it comes to health and fitness resolutions, it is the 18 to 24-year-olds that are making these kind of resolutions more than other groups.
Save More Money: 21%
Spending less is good, but 21% of those setting resolutions this year are also hoping to save more as well.
Not Making A Resolution: 43%
While many of us have made resolutions, the most popular resolution was actually the 43% of people who said they weren't going to make a resolution at all. Well, we guess that's the only way to make sure you don't break it.
Why No Resolution?
So, what was the biggest reason people gave for not making a resolution? Well, 56% of people said that they just didn't want to.
Why No Resolution?
12% of folks said that they didn't make one because they break them too easily, and 6% forgot about it.
Resolution Success And Failure
We all see the gyms packed and our fridges stocked with fresh vegetables in January—but how many folks are still avoiding sugar and making it to the gym regularly in February, March, April, and beyond? The truth is... not many.
Resolution Success And Failure
80% of resolution-makers begin the year confident that they will be able to stick with their goals for the next 365 days. But the truth is...
Resolution Success And Failure
Research over the last few years indicates that only 9% of people manage to maintain their New Year's resolutions for the entire year.
Lasting Impact
Most of us feel confident going into a new year, confident that our resolutions will have a lasting impact on our lives. In fact, 85% of people believe that the impact of their resolutions will last beyond just the upcoming year.
Lasting Impact
57% of people who make a resolution go into the new year feeling that the changes they are planning will have an impact lasting beyond five years.
Photo By: Kaboompics.com, Pexels
Keys To Success
So, how do people who stick to their resolutions do it? Well, one technique 35% of people use are journals and planners. Creating this habit is a great way of maintaining personal accountability for your goals.
Keys To Success
Many people also dive into the app store for help—with 30% finding a habit-tracking app they like and 34% using budgeting apps to help with their spending and money-saving resolutions.
Fast Failure
Not only do over 90% of people fail to maintain their resolutions throughout the year—the statistics show that 23% of us won't make it past the first week in January before we break our resolution.
Fast Failure
Make it past week one and you're already ahead of 23% of folks, but the odds suggest that that number will hit 43% by the end of January.
Keys To Failure
One reason so many people break their resolutions, and do so so quickly, is as simple as the excitement wearing off. It's fun and exciting to think of changes we want to make and how they will improve our lives—but often, doing the actual work required to maintain the changes isn't as much fun.
Photo By: Kaboompics.com, Pexels
Keys To Failure
Fridays. It might be TGIF for most things—but when it comes to maintaining resolutions, Fridays are not a day to be thankful for. Turns out Fridays are a very popular day for quitting goals and resolutions. In fact, the second Friday of the month has actually been dubbed "Quitter's Day".
