Why Choosing Common New Year’s Resolutions Can Increase Your Chances Of Success

The new year can be a time of growth, transformation, and hope for a fresh start. On December 31st, people set new goals or make New Year's resolutions, which they plan to accomplish in the upcoming year. However, while resolution setting serves as a great starting point, some people may struggle to keep up with their goals. For this reason, it may be helpful to consider how choosing one of the most popular goals may increase your chances of success.

How likely am I to have success?

Setting a New Year's resolution is a common tradition but may be challenging to keep. Evidence indicates that 8% of adults in the United States complete their resolution. 23% of people quit their New Year's resolution by the end of the first week, and 43% quit within the first month of the year. Despite these predictions about how likely the average person is to complete their resolution, there are ways to increase the likelihood of success. 

What makes goals difficult to achieve?

Some people believe that adhering to a goal requires nothing but willpower, but evidence indicates that trying to force success through sheer will is not likely to be effective. This barrier may require that people not only commit to a new year’s goal but also take the time to structure new goals in a way that maximizes their chances of success.

Psychologists have made considerable progress in the study of self-control, goal attainment, and motivation. While many factors may get in the way of someone achieving their goals, there are four main factors that frequently derail attempts to engage in self-improvement and positive change, summarized below. 

Poor goal selection

Some people feel that the start of a new year provides the perfect opportunity to hit the ground running and take proactive steps to improve themselves and their daily lives. However, vigor and enthusiasm may lead to unrealistic goals that are not conducive to success. It can be crucial for resolution ideas to be challenging but also attainable. Broad goals, like "weight loss," can be broken down into smaller steps, such as “eat a healthy fish and leafy vegetables at least twice a week in January.” 

Some individuals use SMART goals to selecta  resolution with a favorable chance of success. SMART is an acronym that describes the following: 

• Specific: Specific goals include details about what will be accomplished and what actions can be taken to succeed.

• Measurable: Measurable goals have a quantifiable objective that can be used to track progress, such as the number of miles run or the number of healthy meals eaten. 

• Achievable: Lofty, aspirational goals may seem like a way to "shoot for the stars." Still, evidence suggests that people are more likely to meet their goals if they break a lofty resolution into achievable chunks.

• Relevant: Relevant goals are aligned with the primary objective, often meaning that smaller, achievable goals continue to push a person toward a loftier goal.

• Time-bound: Goals may be most effective when they have a deadline. Like the goal itself, select an achievable timeline.

Poorly timed goals

Humans commonly set goals and make changes at the start of a temporal milestone, like the beginning of the year. Setting goals during temporal milestones may be due to tradition. However, January 1st isn't necessarily the best day to start progress on a specific goal. Evidence suggests that goals based on need are more likely to be successful than those chosen due to tradition.

Some people choose their goals by performing a motivational survey, where they strongly consider the most critical needs in their lives and examine their intrinsic motivation for goals that address that need. It may be beneficial to consider motivation. Goals aligned with what a person needs to do to improve are likely to be associated with a higher amount of motivation and a greater chance of success.

Unexpected challenges

Some goals, even those designed using SMART criteria, are susceptible to random chance. Some people may abandon goals because their attention was unexpectedly turned elsewhere or a change in their life disrupted their routine. Whether the goal is low-stakes, like learning a new hobby or a more serious idea, plan for unforeseen circumstances and have alternate paths to goal attainment. 

Lack of accountability

Accountability may be a powerful tool for ensuring goal attainment in the new year. Accountability means an outside force, typically another person or group, is aware of a person's goal and expects them to achieve it. Some goals fail because people rely solely on willpower to hold themselves accountable, and relying entirely on willpower may not be effective. 

Why choosing common goals can improve success

People may not be able to accomplish all their goals through sheer willpower alone. Although evidence suggests that a small percentage of people will complete their resolution, further evidence indicates that structure and support can increase that number drastically. Choosing a common resolution may offer significantly more opportunities for success due to increased accountability, more opportunities to improve resilience, and broader  support.

Common goals for the new year

A Forbes Health One Poll survey of adults in the United States identified the top priority new year's resolutions for 2024: improved fitness, improved finances, and improved health. While broad resolutions could benefit from the SMART goals approach, selecting goals that other people are pursuing may offer particular advantages.

Improving fitness

Improving physical health is a common resolution every year, and it comes with particular challenges. Evidence suggests that people who do not have an established workout routine may fail to adhere to a new one in the new year. Building exercise habits can take significant time and effort, and completing the process without support and guidance may be challenging. Despite the challenge, improving fitness is top of the resolution for many reasons, helping individuals to manage stress, improve health, and increase overall well-being. 

While improving fitness as a New Year's resolution may have complex elements, there are various resources a person can utilize to make success more likely. Since this goal is so common, it may allow individuals seeking improved fitness an inherent support community. Pursuing fitness goals with friends, family, or loved ones can help with goal setting, improved accountability and resources. Additionally, pursuing these goals as a unit can make the journey more fun. Accountability buddies may schedule regular check-ins regarding milestones and basic health principles such as leaving enough room in your schedule for rest and proper sleep. A more experienced fitness partner may be able to suggest one thing that worked for them such as an exercise or diet program. The community can also offer support with goals related to fitness, like choosing to eat healthier food or making healthy choices in day-to-day activities. 

Improving finances

Like improving fitness, improving finances can be a challenging goal that looks different for everybody. Still, common elements appear that can be used to find support and guidance toward success. One of the significant concerns related to improving finances is goal selection. It can sometimes be challenging for a person to know where to begin, how to decide on appropriate goals, and how to figure out if those goals can realistically lead to more money. 

Because improving finances is a common goal (not only in January), there are numerous resources a person can use to maximize their chances of success. A potentially affordable option is budgeting apps, which leverage technology to help people set reasonable financial goals that are likely to be attainable. Some apps incorporate accountability features to help users spend money, save money and make wise financial decisions. 

Build habits alongside a compassionate professional

Speak to a licensed counselor

Improving mental health

Embarking on a journey to improve mental health may take people down several paths. However, social support is a foundational component of improving mental health, and some people find success in a community of like-minded people. Whether through joining a support group, attending group therapy, or discussing concerns with a friend or loved one, a person may succeed more if they have a strong support network. 

As the stigma surrounding mental health continues to diminish, improving mental health may continue to be a top resolution. It is also a goal that is closely associated with mental health goals, like consuming less alcohol, improving focus and concentration, or spending time with a support network. Another way to find support for this goal is by speaking to a therapist. 

During the holiday season, it can be challenging to attend in-person therapy. In these cases, you might consider talking to a therapist online through a platform like BetterHelp. With an online platform, you can get matched with a therapist who has experience in your treatment goals. In addition, you can choose a time slot for sessions that work for you, including outside of standard business hours. 

Studies also back up the effectiveness of online therapy. One study found that two-way messaging therapy was as effective as face-to-face options and led to significant symptom reduction in people seeking support for mental health challenges.