2020 is here and you’ve given serious thought to the upcoming year and the resolution(s) you have made. Now it’s time to face the new year with the intent to keep your new year resolutions. Unfortunately, most people are not able to sustain the commitments they have made at the beginning of the year. According to researches at the University of Scranton, only 8% of people who make new year resolutions keep them.
Given that, here is a list of the most commonly made and broken new year resolutions.
1. Stay Fit (Exercise More)
The number one most commonly made resolution and the most frequently broken. At the beginning of the year, gym membership increases and so do the people frequenting gyms. However, according to researches, most of the annual gym passes go idle by the end of February.
2. Lose Weight
With the weight of the holidays behind us, more than 25% of people make a new year resolution to lose weight. They eat less, go on fad diets, all with the intent of losing that unwanted weight. Unfortunately, that dedication to lose weight usually falters in a few weeks and people go back to their normal eating habits.
3. Eat Healthier
Another praiseworthy resolution that is difficult to keep. As the old cliché says, breaking old habits is hard to do.That is especially true when trying to eat healthier in today’s age of packaged, processed and fast food options. It is so easy to lose the willpower to eat more of those veggies and fruits when there are so many delicious unhealthy options in front of you.
4. Quit Smoking
If you can go cold turkey and quit smoking, it is the healthiest thing you can do for yourself and those around you. However, smoking is addictive and, like bad eating habits, very difficult to break, with only 10% of those individuals trying to knock the habit keeping this resolution for more than six months.
5. Quit Drinking
Like smoking, drinking can become a physical addiction that is very difficult to break. Trying to undertake this resolution by yourself can be daunting and many people are unable to do so.
6. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
That means different things to different people but most experts agree that is doing what you enjoy. Unfortunately, unless your job is something you enjoy and find fulfilling, this resolution is doomed to failure. The truth is the thought of work prevails more than the ability to enjoy life to its fullest. Even on vacations, people think about their work.
7. Find a New Job
Whether if it’s that the work is not fulfilling or your boss is a scrooge or some other reason, over 10% of people start the new year with a resolution to a find a new job. However, most don’t succeed and stay in their current employment.
8. Manage Stress Better
Perhaps the resolution that is broken the quickest because it is so difficult to measure and achieve. There are so many stressors in our lives and the ability to manage and control them is often beyond most people’s capability.
9. Spend Less
More than 14% of people make this resolution but, due to many factors – some outside their control, lack the discipline to adhere to this vow.
10. Save Money
This often goes hand-in-hand with spending less with the belief that the extra money from being thrifty can be placed into savings. However, if that newfound frugality is achieved, often the financial surplus doesn’t make it into savings.
11. Spend More Time with Family and Friends
Despite the fact that for most individuals, family and friends are the most important things to them, many people focus on their own personal routines and tend to neglect this aspect of their life. At new year, more than 19% of people do make a resolution to refocus their efforts on family and friends, yet many of these well-doers fall back into their personal routines.
12. Get Organized
Clutter here, clutter there. On average, people spend 1.5 hours per day for a six week period looking for things throughout the year. Despite the resolution to become more organized and learn how to do so, most people are unable to fulfill the goal of getting organized.
13. Learn Something New
Whether a new language, hobby, skill or whatever other personal passion, over 14% of people make this resolution. The trick here, and why people fail at this resolution, is to pick something achievable. You may want to learn how to surf but if you don’t know how to swim, well you get the idea.
14. Travel More
Depending on the person, that may be visiting more local or regional destinations. Others make resolutions to see exotic locations. Whatever the travel destination, getting there requires discipline to save the money and allocate the time from a busy life to make the trip. Because of this, many times this resolution goes unchecked.
15. Read More
That may be a good novel, short story, biography, history or current affairs. Whatever the subject, over 12% of people make that pledge to themselves. They dutifully set aside time during the day to complete that pledge they’ve made to themselves. Sadly, it is only a matter of time before time pressures and personal routines get in the way.
16. Get More Sleep
Most of us are sleep deprived. Whether it’s work, stress or technology, there are so many distractions in today’s world that it makes it difficult for many of us to get the recommended 8 hours of quality sleep per night. In spite of the side-effects of sleep deprivation, many of us still fail to get the shut eye we need to be productive and happy during the day. Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, depression, anxiety and a host of other unhealthy outcomes. Luckily, the cure can often be as simple as powering down your screens and your mind and getting the right amount of sleep for you.
17. Volunteer
There’s no greater feeling than donating your time and energy to a good cause. It’s no wonder that many pledge to volunteer more in the new year. Whether it’s caring for animals, feeding the hungry or lending a hand at your place of worship, volunteering is a resolution that keeps on giving. Not sure where to volunteer? Justserve.org is a great place to start if you’re not sure where to begin. Just enter your ZIP code and they’ll direct you to volunteer opportunities in your area.
18. Drink More Water
We all know the importance of staying hydrated. Yet many of us still don’t drink enough water during the day. Other more flavorful beverages often lure us away from H2O but drinking enough water each day is essential for virtually every part of your body functioning properly. Everything from skin health, joint health, blood pressure regulation and removal of toxins depends on good hydration. How much water per day is enough? While opinions vary, a general rule is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses per day of water.
19. Get Out Of Debt
Paying off those credit cards once and for all can be liberating–for your finances and for your mental well-being. But getting out of debt requires commitment and fiscal discipline that often means making short-term sacrifices for longer term gain.
20. Stop Procrastinating
Do you put things off until the last minute and do the fun stuff first? The battle over procrastination seems to be a never-ending one and often leads to anxiety, stress and reduced performance in a number of areas including school, your career, health and relationships. Procrastination makes it hard to develop new, positive habits and makes those new year’s resolutions unrealized dreams. Don’t put it off, make 2020 a great year!
Originally published on Sizzlepixs.com
