There is a sense of a new beginning at the threshold of a new year. Thanks to the digital age, we no longer need to 'flip' the calendar, but the idea that one can embark on a different path, do better, and shed old unflattering habits prevails. It is a time of grace - to look back on the year gone by, take stock, and give oneself another chance.
It would seem that many have taken the pressure off making promises, better known as New Year resolutions, at this time of the year and are focusing on simply enjoying the holidays. A nationwide TIPP Poll of over 1400 adults found that less than half planned to make any New Year resolutions for 2025. A clear majority, 56%, stated they did not intend to do so.
Interestingly, youngsters have still not given up on the tradition (or habit) of making New Year's resolutions. Close to two-thirds of the 18-24 year olds intended to make resolutions for the year ahead, as did sixty percent of the 25-44 age bracket.
Overall, among those who did plan on setting goals for the coming year, exercise, health, and finances topped the list. Half wanted to exercise regularly and make healthier food choices. About the same numbers aim to set intentions to improve their finances. More family time and healthier weight goals were on the list for more than a third. While learning a new skill or picking up a hobby found favor with twenty-nine percent, a quarter planned to focus on reducing credit card debt and time spent on social media. A fifth intended to save for retirement and quit smoking in the New Year.
While the young adults aligned with the general trend and chose exercise (60%), a healthier diet (56%), and finances (52%) as their top three resolutions, losing weight (47%) and spending more time with family (43%) also were desired goals. The next age group (24-44-year-olds) had similar intentions but with fewer takers – exercise regularly (46%), eat healthy (44%) and improve finances (43%).
Gender did not seem to influence resolutions for the New Year. Men and women polled similar numbers on the most popular goals. While 49% of men intend to exercise regularly, so did 51% of women. Making healthier food choices was a priority for 49% of men and 50% of women. Financial health was the aim for 43% of men and 45% of women. When it comes to losing weight, more women (39%) hoped to do so in 2025 compared to 30% of men. And while only a quarter of the men intended to pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill, a third of the women were planning on it.
New Year's resolutions may have lost some of their sheen, but certainly not all. The general shift in goal-setting habits has had an impact on what and how much folks promise to achieve, change, or improve in the coming year. With more focus on continuous improvements, setting realistic goals, and practicing mindfulness throughout the next twelve months, the pressure to decide and declare one's intentions before the clock strikes twelve has eased.
So, to those who did make New Year's resolutions, may you persevere and succeed in reaching your goals. And to those who didn't make any, may you find the resolve and grace to face the coming year head-on.
