UTAH (ABC4) – Year after year, Americans kick off January 1st by setting goals to improve themselves. From weight loss to volunteering, citizens across the nation implement resolutions to make this year better than the last. In order to generate a better understanding of the most popular and most successful New Year’s intentions, Statista released a study compiled of 2021’s most common and avoided resolutions.
According to the study, the most prominent lifestyle change Americans wanted to make in 2021 was doing more exercise or improving their fitness, reported by a whopping 50% of respondents. The second runner-up was losing weight which was reported by 48% of participants, while saving more money earned 3rd place and was elected by 44% of Americans.
Other common resolutions made in 2021 include:
- Improving diet: 39% of respondents
- Pursuing a career ambition: 21% of respondents
- Spending more time with family: 18% of respondents
- Taking up a new hobby: 14% of respondents
- Spending less time on social media: 13% of respondents
- Quitting smoking: 10% of respondents
- Decorating or renovating a home: 10% of respondents
- Volunteering more or doing charity work: 10% of respondents
- Raising money for a charity: 5% of respondents
- Cutting down on drinking: 4% of respondents
- Quitting drinking entirely: 2% of respondents
- Something else: 14% of respondents
Although Americans have proven to be great at setting goals to motivate them throughout the New Year, sticking with their resolutions is a different story. Another study carried out by Statista in 2018 revealed that only 4% of Americans who set New Year’s Resolutions in 2018 stuck with them, while 13% said they kept none.
Though every year looks different, our values seemingly remain the same. The list of commonplace intentions from 2019 compared to those from 2018 and 2021 emphasizes Americans’ desire to remain joyful and in good health.