Although most New Year’s resolutions are quickly abandoned, we all tend to make them.
Every day is a good day to make good decisions, provided we stick to them. However, we often tend to link significant steps to a date important to us, often the start of a new year. According to a Forbes Health and OnePoll market research survey on New Year’s resolutions for 2024 conducted in the USA, the most common resolution adults will try to implement from the first day of January is improving physical fitness.
48 percent of respondents (52 percent women and 42 percent men) aim to work on their bodies, 38 percent will strive to improve their financial situation, and 36 percent will focus on their mental health (multiple answers were possible). These are different statistics compared to the 2023 survey, where respondents mostly aimed to improve their mental health.
Focus on health
Most of this year’s resolutions are related to health and quality of life. 34 percent have decided to lose excess weight, while 32 percent aim to improve their diet.
Interestingly, respondents seem less occupied with improving their professional skills, as only three percent have decided to enhance their workplace skills, and the same percentage has firmly resolved to drink less alcohol. About five percent of respondents plan to meditate regularly in the new year, while six percent consider 2024 a year for traveling.
Feeling pressure
It’s concerning that many respondents made their New Year’s resolution because they felt obliged to do so; a notable 62 percent stated they felt pressured to make such a decision, with women (64 percent) feeling this slightly more than men (62 percent). This suggests they might not stick to their resolutions for long. In fact, only 20 percent of respondents stated they would responsibly adhere to their set goals, a significant drop from last year’s 77 percent. Nevertheless, 57 percent believe their decision will impact their lives for the next three years or more.
Reality doesn’t confirm such optimism – some say the second Friday in January is the day to bid farewell to New Year’s resolutions, for others, it’s January 17th. According to the Forbes Health and OnePoll survey, on average, people will give up on their firmly made New Year’s resolutions after about 3.74 months, which would be around April 22nd.
