How long do New Year's resolutions actually last?

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How long do New Year’s resolutions actually last?

‘Tis the season again, and New Year’s resolutions are back in full force. Even though the motivation for change and new goals are sky-high toward the end of a year, particularly in December, most New Year’s resolutions don’t last long—Way.com shares details

What’s the Story Behind New Year’s Resolutions?

There is no historical story that confirms itself as the only reason why New Year’s resolutions exist. However, there are a few standout stories that have been passed down over the years and make a lot of sense. One of the oldest of these stories is from Babylonia, which is in present-day Iraq and parts of Syria and Iran.  

Back then, Babylonians had a massive 12-day religious festival around their New Year called Akitu. Interestingly, New Year did not start in January back then, and instead took place in mid-March as this was the time when crops were planted. During Akitu, people made promises to appease their gods.  

These promises would eventually become the forerunners to the New Year’s resolutions seen today. Years later, Julius Caesar would go on to establish Jan. 1 as the beginning of the New Year in honor of Janus, the two-faced god. Janus had two faces that looked forward and backward, so Romans made promises of good conduct for the coming year, and the concept of New Year’s resolutions eventually came into existence. 

Why Do People Make New Year’s Resolutions?

A probable reason for the New Year inspiring resolutions has to come from the extra motivation many around the end of the year. One year is actually a great benchmark to look back and think about where you stand right now in life. It helps you get clarity on what you could’ve done better last year. 

As a fresh new year starts, it offers a blank slate—more like a factory reset where you now have 12 months to look forward to. This also explains why most New Year’s resolutions fail miserably after a couple of days. Why? Because if you really needed to change something, you did not need to convince yourself that you’ll start changing after the year ends.

How Long Do New Year’s Resolutions Last?

Before diving deep into the numbers and studies from 2024, here’s a look at an interesting concept called “Quitter’s Day.” Yes, that’s right, there is actually a day called Quitter’s Day, which falls on the second Friday of January. It’s called Quitter’s Day because this is considered the benchmark for how long New Year’s resolutions last. 

Based on a study published by New York-based national market research company Drive Research, 23% of adults quit their New Year’s resolutions by Quitter’s Day. This metric goes up to 43% of adults by the end of January. The study also found that 92% of adults will not follow through on a resolution.  

Here are some more interesting statistics from the New Year’s Resolution Statistics and Trends [2024] Study by Drive Research: 

• Only 9% of Americans kept their resolution throughout the year. 
• Most people drop out from their New Year’s resolution on a Friday. 
• Three in 10 Americans made a resolution in 2024. 

Similar numbers are also echoed in the Forbes Health Survey on New Year Resolutions for 2024. According to this survey, the average New Year’s resolution lasts less than four months. Based on the data collected on Oct. 23, 2023, by Forbes, only 6% of the 1000 U.S. adults who set a New Year’s resolution stuck to it beyond the year.  

Other Findings of the Forbes Health Survey 2024

The Forbes Health Survey asked a very important question—how long do New Year’s resolutions last? The answers were mixed, but some of the key findings are interesting: 

• 61.7% of survey respondents say they felt pressured to set a New Year’s resolution. 
• 66.5% of the respondents set multiple goals (three or more goals).
• Only 22% of the respondents followed their resolution by the end of three months.  
• Only 2% were still following their New Year’s resolutions by the end of seven months. 
• 1% of respondents quit their New Year’s resolution within the first month.

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Why Don’t Most New Year’s Resolutions Last Long?

To answer this, return to the findings of the Forbes Health Survey and examine the most popular New Year’s resolutions for 2024.

As can be seen, there are goals that can be achieved instantly and goals that take time. For instance, you can decide to stop smoking today and commit to this instantly. However, to lose weight, you need time, patience, and a lot of consistency. If these  goals are divided further, the results look something like this:

Short-term goals

• Improve diet 
• Make more time for loved ones 
• Stop smoking 
• Learn a new skill 
• Make more time for hobbies 
• Travel more 
• Meditate regularly 
• Drink less alcohol 

Long-term goals

• Improve fitness 
• Improve finances 
• Improve mental health 
• Lose weight 
• Improve work-life balance 
• Perform better at work 

From these metrics, what’s certain is that people who prioritize short-term goals over long-term goals have more chances of hitting their goals. People with long-term goals as their New Year’s resolutions need to stay patient and consistent for longer durations. 

When they don’t see results, chances are they will drop off from their New Year’s resolutions. 

Reasons Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail

There are a few similarities in the many surveys and research on how long New Year’s resolutions last. On a deeper analysis, what becomes clear is that most New Year’s resolutions fail for a few common reasons. Activewear brand Sundried did a study on why most New Year’s resolutions fail and came up with the following ten reasons why most resolutions fail: 

1. Going solo 
2. High expectations 
3. Giving up too easily 
4. Not enough time 
5. Not enough money 
6. No plan 
7. No motivation 
8. No self belief 
9. Social situations 
10. Forgetting

One of the most interesting observations and reason for most New Year’s resolutions failing is forgetting the goal. Yes, as much as people might hate to accept it, some New Year’s resolutions are made when they’re celebrating the New Year with a drink in one hand. 

Setting unrealistic New Year’s resolutions is also a leading factor for most failed resolutions. Instead of focusing on things that can be achieved, many people overstride and set the bar too high, resulting in an uphill climb. 

Why Are Resolutions So Hard to Keep?

The main problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they are a concept most people do because of how mainstream they have become. If you genuinely want to change something, you should never have to wait for the calendar year to keep flipping until the end of December. 

Going back to the numbers shared in the Forbes Health Survey and a summary report by Inside Out, most resolutions lack motivation. Instead, they are driven by an urge to start the new year fresh. People consider the beginning of a new year as a clean slate that enables them to focus on new goals. 

However, the urge to change and set goals at the start of a year is immediate but usually starts fading by the end of January. If the resolutions were driven by change, more than a social trend, fear of missing out, or peer pressure to do so, chances are more likely for a person to stick with a New Year’s resolution.

Wrapping Up

At the end of the day, if people decide they actually want to commit themselves to the New Year’s resolutions they set in 2025, things will look very different than the numbers shared here. If people continue the same dedication they had in 2024, the numbers will remain the same. After all, changes need to start with you. If your goal is “New Year, New You,” start today instead of waiting for Jan. 1.

This story was produced by Way.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.