Popular New Year’s Resolutions that Never Seem to Follow Through

As New Year’s approaches, it is common to reflect on the past year and make goals for the future. One may write resolutions down or tell them to a friend, but oftentimes it proves challenging to change habits and take action towards new goals. Many wonder why they can never accomplish their resolutions, but the problem may be the resolutions themselves. According to a variety of scientific studies, less than half of people who make New Year’s resolutions are usually successful.  What types of resolutions do people tend to create, and why do they never follow through with it? 

Writer Bradmick researched that popular resolutions include,“Exercise more, Lose weight, Get organized, Learn a new skill or hobby, Live life to the fullest, Save more money / spend less money, Quit smoking, Spend more time with family and friends, Travel more, [and] Read more.” I have to admit that I’m also a victim of these resolutions, as I have never quite achieved them myself. Research shows that the problem in these resolutions is that they are too large so they do not fit into people’s daily routines. Moreover, people set goals that are not meaningful, so they lack the motivation to achieve them. Narrowing the scale of resolutions can dramatically impact the results. For example, instead of committing to working out every day, simply writing 2-3 times a week could help especially if working out wasn’t part of your daily routine the previous year.  If people truly want to make a change in 2021, they have to be willing to be held accountable for the goals they write down. Having a friend check up on your progress would be one simple solution. Make small goals that are not overwhelming to achieve. In the end, the most common resolutions are the ones that people do not actually achieve.  


Lucie Crosly
Staff Writer

Graphic: Ashlee Fong

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