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Monthly Spotlight: New Years Resolution

National Resolution Planning Day

  1. Be Picky
    1. Pick one, maybe two things, to focus and put your energy into. Too many and you'll lose focus and drop them.
    2. Sometimes it may help to align your resolution with your core values. Find the passion and purpose of it, otherwise, why have a resolution?
  2. Plan
    1. Think through how you plan to accomplish your goal. Like reading more, noticing how much you read now, expecting times to get busy, and looking into book challenges and reading logs. Really plan out what you want to accomplish.
    2. Use the abbreviation SMART to help you out; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound
  3. Specify
    1. Make sure your goal is measurable. Instead of "I want to exercise more" try "I'll exercise 30 minutes daily". This can help check it off your daily list and make you feel accomplished.
  4. Start Small
    1. We don't want high expectations, we want realistic scenarios. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, start with the goal of losing 10 pounds in 2 months. If you reach it, then think about adding more if you want. Small steps help achieve big results.
    2. The important part is to stay flexible, you don't have to accomplish everything right away.
  5. Choose a New Resolution
    1. If you picked the same goal that you failed in the past, you may set yourself up for failure with the same pitfalls. Modify or change your resolution for a better path to success. (i.e. "I need more sleep" vs "I will go to bed at a reasonable hour")
    2. Set your sights on finishing the marathon, not on running it.
  6. Partner Up
    1. Sometimes our support system can really keep us accountable. Try making a resolution and plan with a friend or loved one to keep each other in check.
    2. This can also help you mold the environment around you to increase your desires and productivity in your day to day life.
  7. Make it a Habit
    1. On average, it takes 66 days for a new habit to form. Give yourself some grace and keep working at it!
    2. Give yourself a little reward for each achievement. You lost another pound? Blast your favorite song. You finished another chapter? Give yourself an extra minute of screen time.
  8. Forgive
    1. Forgive your failures because they do NOT determine your success, your response will. Hit snooze one too many times and miss your yoga class? Make time for 5 minutes of stretching. 
    2. Reflect on the failure and adjust accordingly. Life rewards those who try and try again.

 Information from: Forbes, Harvard Health, Colorado State University, and UC Davis.

  • 3 in 10 Americans report making at least 1 resolution for 2024
    • Half of this group made more than 1
  • Nearly a month into the new year, most people who made them have stuck with them
    • 13% have said they hadn't kept any of them
  • 49% of adults aged 18-29 say they made at least 1 resolution in 2024
    • 31% 30 to 49
    • 21% 50 and older
  • 79% of resolutions made concerned health
    • 61% Money
    • 57% Relationships
    • 55% Hobbies
    • 49% Work/Career
    • 42% Other
  • Of the 70% of Americans who did NOT make a resolution in 2024- 56% (the majority) said their main reason was they don't like to make resolutions
    • 1 in 10 of them said they break them too easily 
    • About 9% didn't know what kind of resolution to make
    • 6% forgot to make one
    • 17% had other reasons
  • About 40% of Gen Zers feel pressured to make a resolution
    • 35% of men feel more pressured than 28% of women
  • 77% of adults try to keep themselves accountable when it comes to sticking with a resolution
  • Only about 9% of adults keep their New Year's resolution all year long
  • Friday's are the most popular day for people to drop their resolutions
    • The second Friday of January is often called "Quitter's Day"
  • Ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year's resolutions, about 4,000 years ago
  • Even Romans in Julius Caesar's time made sacrifices and promises of good conduct to the gods in the new year.
  • For early Christians, the first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one’s past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future.
  • Sometimes it is good to keep making resolutions (even if you don't keep them)
    • Being intentional about how you want to grow and develop will help you achieve results.
      • This intentionality will also contribute to your happiness and fulfillment.
      • When you’re moving forward with clear direction, you make a positive contribution to your emotional and mental health.
    • You expect things to get better for you, for your work experience, or for your community. This positive view of the future, in turn, tends to motivate action.
      • So optimism is doubly beneficial—contributing to your own mental health, but also engaging you toward positive action which has an effect on those around you.
    • When you seek to be better, do better, or contribute more fully, you tend to inspire others as well.
      • The primary way people learn is through experiencing the behavior of others.
      • Even if they’re not consciously aware of it, people pick up on choices and cues from others—constantly.

 Information from the Pew Research Center, Drive Research, History, and Forbes