Most Common and Most Commonly Broken New Year's Resolution

THE MOST COMMON AND COMMONIY-BROKEN NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS New Year's resolutions may be made with vigour and hope, but our commitment often fizzles out before February. We take a look at the most common resolutions, how likely they are to be adandoned, and what you can do to stick to your goals. DOES EVERYONE MAKE A RESOLUTION? USUALLY MAKE 45% RESOLUTIONS 17% 38% 45% ABSOLUTELY NEVER 38% MAKE RESOLUTIONS INFREQUENTLY MAKE 17% RESOLUTIONS THE MOST POPULAR RESOLUTIONS Self-improvement and education-related resolutions are among the most popular made each year. 47% SELF-IMPROVEMENT/ EDUCATION 38% LOSE WEIGHT 34% SAVE MONEY 31% RELATIONSHIPS *Total does not equal 100 per cent because respondents were allowed multiple answers In a recent FranklinCovey survey, New Year's resolution goals have shifted in importance from 2002 to 2012. 2002 2012 BECOME -O LOSE WEIGHT PHYSICALLY FIT IMPROVE 2 2 -O IMPROVE FINANCES FINANCES 3 IMPROVE 3 O QUIT SMOKING HEALTH 14 BECOME LOSE WEIGHT OH PHYSICALLY FIT fOuIT CHANGE JOB OR 15 READ MORE O- CAREER SUCCESS RATES Success rates for resolutions fizzle out after one month and even more so after six PAST THE FIRST WEEK PAST TWO WEEKS 75% 71% AFTER ONE MONTH 64% AFTER SIX MONTHS 46% Unhappy people are more likely to make New Year's resolutions. HAPPINESS INFLUENCES RESOLUT IONS SMALLER PLANS AGE INFLUENCES RESOLUTIONS 41% ARE NOT НАРPY 35% AVERAGE SUCCESS RATE 39% AVERAGE SUCCESS ARE ARE 15% AVERAGE 34% MODERATELY 25% НАРPY SUCCESS НАРPY OF THOSE WITH RATE OF RATE OF MORE THOSE THOSE MANAGEABLE OVER 50 20-29 RESOLUTIONS. IMPROVING YOUR CHANCES The odds are stacked against resolution makers. Here are a few tips to make your resolution stick. GET SPECIFIC GET A TIMETABLE One of the biggest mistakes is setting goals which are too general. Be specific. Instead of getting healthy, decide to Set a time or date goal to accomplish your resolution by. Keep the timeframe realistic. You won't be able to lose 1O pounds in a week, and you'll be setting yourself up for fallure If you try. run twice a week or eat three vegetables a day. WRITE IT DOWN STAY FOCUSED Put your goals on paper to make them tangible. Include the small, manageable steps you'll need to take in order to achleve your goal. When you encounter a resolution roadblock, focus on the rewards that will come from keeping your resolution. GET SUPPORT DON'T GIVE UP Having a friend, group, partner, or professional to heck in with each discuss progress or challenges will help you stay positive and focused. Many people simply give up after the first resolution slip-up. The key to overcoming this problem is how you handle your reaction. Instead of giving up the diet after one slice of pizza, Jump on the running machine for an extra 15 minutes. to SOURCES: THEGUARDIAN.co.UK I NPR.ORG I MONEY.USNEWS.COM I PROACTIVECHANGE.COM I HUFFINGTONPOST.COM I "NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION SURVEY," FRANKLINCOVEY 2011 Confused.com Иw ww