According to a recent Harris poll, the most common New Year’s resolutions focus on health and wellbeing. Here are the top ten resolutions made in 2014:
1. Lose weight
2. Improve finances
3. Exercise more
4. Get a new or better job
5. Eat healthier
6. Manage stress better
7. Quit smoking
8. Improve a relationship
9. Stop procrastinating
10. Set aside time for oneself
Surprisingly, the one resolution that is missing is the most critical: to actually keep the resolutions you made throughout the year. A Psychology Today report paints a disturbing picture of a nation of quitters: 22% of people quit working on their New Year’s resolutions after one week, 40% after one month; and 50% after three months — leaving 9 full months to come up with new resolutions for the following year. According to the report people fail to achieve their well-intentioned resolutions for the following reasons:
1. Forgetting that change is a process: resolutions are merely first steps
2. Making general versus specific resolutions
3. Setting unrealistic goals
4. Not having a specific change plan
5. Giving up too quickly
6. Failing to manage or overcome ambivalence
7. Failing to obtain cheerleaders or role models to help you succeed
8. Failing to address emotional issues that can sabotage success
9. Failing to address environmental issues or triggers that can sabotage success
10. Adopting quick or simple solutions promoted by unscrupulous companies that don’t work
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For further reading: fool.com/investing/general/2013/12/31/the-10-most-common-new-years-resolutions-and-how-t.aspx#.UsW7h_3BPRo
psychologytoday.com/blog/presence-mind/201401/ten-new-year-s-resolution-mistakes-sabotage-success
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