Resolutions for the New Year: Stats Around Success and Common Pitfalls

2024 is right around the corner — which means people are beginning to think about their goals for the new year. Statistics show that New Year’s resolutions are often flippantly made and quickly abandoned. A 2017 survey of 1,129 American adults found that 41% of people make New Year’s resolutions, while only 9.2% felt they were successful in achieving their goals. While these statistics may seem disheartening, you can still find success if you approach your New Year's goal appropriately. Let’s take a deeper dive into what it takes to be successful in achieving your resolution:Why Do People Generally Fail at Accomplishing Their New Year’s Goals?

When it comes to making New Year’s resolutions, most people will focus on the outcome, rather than a behavior that needs to change. People generally get into trouble because they don’t focus on the action steps needed to accomplish the goal. It’s like wanting 6-pack abs, but not changing any eating or training habits to make that dream a reality- of course you will be unsuccessful. Similarly, your resolutions need action steps to help you accomplish them.

The single most popular New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. The people who will find themselves successful in sustainably losing weight are the ones that focus on changing their behaviors on a day-to-day basis. If someone who wants to set the goal of losing weight has eaten ice cream every night and only went to the gym once a month this year, they’ll accomplish their New Year’s goal if they work on changing those behaviors. People who only focus on the outcome often fail because outcomes can fall outside of our control. You can control your behaviors, leading to a difference in how you approach your New Year’s resolutions.  Decide Which Type of Goal You Want to Set

There are three different types of goals, which are called the three S’s. The three S’s for goal setting are survival, success, and significant goals. It’s essential to understand which category your goal falls under because it allows you to recognize the driving force behind the goal. We usually classify a survival goal as a goal meant to get away from pain or suffering. If you want to lose weight in the new year because you feel sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, your goal would be a survival goal, because it focuses on bettering your poor health. An example of a successful goal would be purchasing your dream car, but that could also fall into the category of a significant goal. Depending on your situation, the exact same goal could be a survival goal, success goal, or significant goal. Essentially, these categories are a spectrum of goals meant to help you fully comprehend why you want to achieve a specific goal. Your why is your driving force behind the goal!Wrapping it Up

The holidays are a hectic time, but we encourage you to take some time to reflect on your past year. If you want to set a resolution, you will find the most success if you focus on behavior goals instead of the outcome. If you take one day at a time and make decisions that align with your desired goal, you’ll eventually see the outcome. It is important to remember that goals often take an extended amount of time before you achieve them- consistency is key! If you’re still looking for a goal you would like to set for yourself, you could always talk with a health coach to figure out how to set a goal that is important and impactful. Happy New Year from Team Stark!