New Year's Resolutions: Statistics And Evidence-Based Strategies For Success

The start of a new year can be full of hope and promise. For some, New Year’s resolutions serve as a reminder of their capacity for growth and change. However, many common new year's resolutions consist of challenging goals that are notoriously difficult to meet. For this reason, a high percentage of new year's resolutions fail within the first week or months of the year. 

Key New Year's resolutions statistics

In 2022, a YouGov poll exploring new year's resolutions statistics found that more than a third of Americans (37%) reported having a goal in mind for 2023. Popular resolutions included weight loss, getting more exercise, and the desire to eat healthier. Similar polls showed that financial health was another goal for some resolutioners, with pledges to save more money, pay down debts, or get a new job. Whether you aim to lose weight, drink less alcohol, or participate in Quitter’s Day, where people quit smoking and other substances, you’re not alone in these goals. 

If you’ve ever noticed more people with a gym membership in January, you might have guessed that it is a result of the widespread desire for better health—one 2016 study of New Year’s resolutions found that on average, more than half (55%) are health-related. 

You may also have noticed your gym emptied somewhat by spring, which aligns with findings that many struggle to maintain their new year's change attempts long-term. One study found that 77% of resolutioners kept their pledge for one week, but only 19% had maintained their goal at the two-year mark. That same study identified stimulus control, reinforcement, and willpower as the key differentiators between the successful and unsuccessful groups. This statistic may be helpful when considering how to keep your fresh start in motivation in the upcoming year. 

One paper that reviewed the research on the topic suggests that it may not be as simple as having your new year’s resolutions “fail” or “succeed”. Between 20% and 40% of the participants across the two studies had achieved their goal by the end of the year, with 32% to 60% still working on it. 15% to 21% had put their goal on hold, and only a fraction (0% to 3%) had “deliberately disengaged”.

Regarding achieving new goals, attitude, and approach can be paramount. A 2020 study of more than 1,000 participants found that those with approach-oriented goals (e.g. “run a 5k race”) were more likely to succeed than those with avoidance-oriented goals (e.g., “don’t eat junk food”). Goals that focus on a positive outcome often offer more intrinsic motivation than those that focus on avoiding a negative outcome.

However, no matter how clear and specific you are about what you want to achieve, it may not be possible to predict the future, and putting too much pressure on yourself to succeed can take a toll. One longitudinal examination study found that “[specific goal] flexibility was associated with higher levels of mental well-being” and didn’t have a measurable effect on success rate, positive or negative.

If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.

Evidence-based strategies for accomplishing your New Year’s resolutions

Set SMART goals

If you’re committed to working toward a goal in the new year, it might be helpful to write down your goals according to the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound). SMART goals can help you understand your goal, how to approach new habits, and how to measure success.

For example, pledging to “get in shape” might be a vague and slippery goal if you want to get healthier. A SMART goal might be: “Attend three fitness classes per week for six months.” This goal allows you to imagine scheduling and attending classes—and crossing them off your to-do list three times a week. 

Make a plan

Once you’ve established your goals for your physical and mental health, start planning for how you may work toward achieving them daily. Aim to break down significant goals into smaller, actionable tasks. For example, if you want to adopt a healthier diet, you might decide to block off time each weekend to plan your menu, go shopping, and prepare meals. 

As you plan, think about how you will stick to your goal. Do you need a backup plan? What about a system for tracking progress? Do you have a friend or loved one you can rely on for mutual support? Try to anticipate obstacles and plan what to do if you encounter a setback or loss of motivation.

Manage time wisely

Time management can play a critical role in the success of your New Year’s Resolution. As goals often hinge on adopting and sticking with new habits, effective time management is often essential for continued success. Time-blocking, for example, might allow you to visualize how your new habit might fit into your day.

As you implement time management techniques, try to remain flexible and realistic about how much you can accomplish on any given day—putting too much pressure on yourself can sometimes lead to burnout. 

Track your New Year's resolutions progress

Monitoring progress may be crucial for staying motivated and on track. Check in regularly using a journal, app, or progress chart to help you visualize your hard work. To keep this step fun and interesting, you might consider “gamifying” your progress with friendly competition or implementing a reward system for achieving significant milestones. Aim to keep streaks of positive habits, and don’t hesitate to jump back in if you let your habits lapse for longer than anticipated. 

Aim for progress, not perfection

As James Clear says in the best-selling self-improvement book Atomic Habits, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” In other words, small “investments” made in pursuit of your goal pay off in increasingly positive ways over time. So rather than trying to live up to an ideal, aim for smaller chunks of improvement in order to find your resolution solution.

For example, if your plan to eat only home-cooked meals falls through and you find yourself in a restaurant with friends, try to avoid negative thoughts about failure. Instead, opt to make a more mindful choice about what to order. This way, you can feel proud about stepping toward your goals—even if everything didn’t go according to plan.

Cultivate mindfulness if motivation diminishes

While motivation can be vital in staying aligned with your goals, it can fluctuate. Contrarily, mindfulness can be reached more readily and may offer a more stable foundation for keeping up with your New Year’s Resolution. Research has found that mindfulness and goal achievement may be closely linked. So, while you may not want to go for a morning walk like you promised yourself in January, you can use mindfulness to accept your discomfort and still behave in a way that aligns with your goal.

Find a buddy

An accountability partner may make a positive difference in sticking with your New Year’s resolution. While it might be fun to tell others about your goal, research suggests it may be more beneficial to take it a step further and check in periodically with someone. Choose someone you can rely on, such as a friend, partner, or therapist. Having someone walking alongside you on your journey can boost your motivation—and keep you accountable.

Skip this year’s resolution

For those feeling discouraged by statistics or past experience, it may be best to forego a new year’s resolution altogether. Both older and younger adults are ditching the tradition of new year’s resolutions in favor of less stringent goal-setting strategies that can be implemented at more individually suited times. Additionally, you may consider less “popular” resolutions that contribute to enrichment rather than improvement such as reading more, learning an instrument, or trying new, spending more time with friends.

Hold yourself accountable with therapy

A therapist may help you set goals and plan for achieving them while simultaneously being a source of accountability and encouragement. Therapists can also help you identify underlying issues that might be interfering with your progress—negative thought patterns, mental illness, and self-esteem issues, for example, can complicate the self-improvement process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one standard therapeutic modality that may help you manage these challenges. 

If you face barriers to in-person therapy, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be beneficial in working toward goal attainment. With tools like interactive journaling, daily messaging with your therapist, and optional group sessions, online platforms can serve as a springboard for success as you work towards your New Year’s resolutions. Additionally, online treatment tends to be more affordable than traditional face-to-face therapy and has been found equally effective by several studies.