As a new year approaches, many Canadians commit to improve their lives by making New Year’s resolutions.
A recent survey by Tangerine found that 69 per cent of Canadians have made New Year’s resolutions in the past. Of those, 54 per cent set goals to improve their physical well-being and 32 per cent to improve their financial health.
A 2017 college-based poll in the U.S. had “Be a better person” topping the list of likely New Year’s resolutions for 2018, followed closely by losing weight and exercising more.
In the same poll, of those that made a New Year’s resolution in 2017, 68 per cent said they kept it, at least partially, and 32 per cent said they quit.
RELATED: A life of pie: B.C. woman bakes works of art, hopes to create a new industry
Another study out of the U.S. that investigated the success and predictors of New Year’s resolutions reported that 77 per cent of resolvers kept their commitments continuously for one week, 55 per cent for one month, and 40 per cent for six months. Only 19 per cent of resolvers were still successful at a two-year follow-up.
The success rate of resolutions is approximately ten times higher than the success rate of adults desiring to change their behavior but not making a resolution, according to a study out of the University of Scranton.
To increase the likelihood of success, experts recommend setting realistic goals and not being deterred by slip ups. Research shows that both those who quit and those who succeed in their resolutions slip up during the practice of changing their behaviour, but those that succeed choose to keep going, sometimes doubling down on their efforts.
So next time you slip up and feel like you’ve failed your New Year’s resolution, look at it as a bump and not a wall – a mindset that will help carry you to success.
Follow us on Instagram
