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A December 2012 Harris Poll survey of 3,036 U.S. adults identified “weight loss” as the top resolutions for the new year. Health and money accounted for two-thirds of all resolutions.
Here are a few key points from the survey, performed by Dr. John Norcross from the University of Scranton:
Top 2013 Resolutions of Americans
| Weight loss | 21% |
| Improve finances | 14% |
| Exercise | 14% |
| Get a new job | 10% |
| Healthier eating | 7% |
| Manage stress better | 5% |
| Stop/reduce smoking | 5% |
| Improve a relationship | 5% |
| Improve procrastination | 3% |
| Set time aside for myself | 3% |
| Start a new activity/hobby | 3% |
| Improve my work habits | 2% |
| Stop/reduce drinking alcohol | 2% |
| Assertion/learn to say no | 1% |
| Other | 5% |
The difficulty of committing to change
When asked to think about past New Year’s resolutions and efforts to change, Amercians found difficulty in the following:
| Getting started and motivated | 26% |
| Getting prepared and an action plan | 6% |
| Actually changing my behavior | 24% |
| Avoiding relapse into my old behavior in the first couple of months | 16% |
| Slipping quietly back into my old routine over time | 28% |
Maintaining a goal
A 2002 survey of New Year’s Resolutions, again by Dr. Norcross and published in the University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology, followed up with people to see how well they maintained their goals. Interestingly, his study compares the success rates of resolvers (those already active in making a change) and nonresolvers (those simply contemplating a change). See what a difference positive action makes:
| Interval | Resolvers Success % | Nonresolvers Success % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 weeks | 71% | 51% |
| 3 and 4 weeks | 64% | 17% |
| 3 months | 50% | 16% |
| 6 months | 46% | 4% |
Look at those numbers for 6 month success rates! To put this in perspective, if you start the new year already acting on your goal you are more than 11 times more likely to achieve your goal than if you were just thinking about it.
The 4th most popular goal in the survey above (Get a new job) and the 11th (Start a new activity/hobby) both tie into another popular goal: Get a better education. If you want to start a new career path, or learn a new skill we can help you find the school that’s right for you.
Additional Source: Statistic Brain
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