Last January, an estimated 45 million Americans, or approximately one in five adults, set an average of three New Year’s Resolutions each, according to a nationwide phone survey that we conducted here at LifeTango.com in December.
Battle of the “Bulge” and “Budget” Top the List
Of those setting resolutions, nearly three in four set a resolution related to diet, weight loss, or exercise.
The second most common resolutions were financial and budget-related. Roughly two in five Americans who set resolutions hoped to control their spending or improve their financial situation.
Friends, Internet Offer Support
In the study, we found that people who set resolutions with another person were 40 percent more likely to accomplish those resolutions. As a result, we recommend finding a friend or family member who will work on a resolution with you. LifeTango enables you to create a resolution and then invite a friend or family member to join you. Then you can work on the resolution together.
Another suggestion is to write down your resolutions or record them on a computer or the internet. Though only one in four people setting resolutions recorded them, those that did were 25 percent more likely to accomplish their goals.
“I started using LifeTango to work on a goal with my sister,” says Lovina Roundy of Monterey, Cal. “But seeing some of the goals that others posted to the site made me realize I needed to adjust my life to match my priorities to take my daughter to the park more often and work on personal interests. For me, this is just the beginning.”
For Roundy and millions of other Americans, the new year dawns with the hope and resolve for a better, more fulfilling life in 2007.