As the new year approaches, it’s natural to feel a little excited about the possibility of leaving the old year behind and starting all over again. In fact, research shows that approximately 60% of us are so excited about this perspective that we take the time to make New Year’s resolutions (unfortunately, only 8% of us actually get them).
But what kind of resolutions are most common?
When I wrote a column about the top ten New Year’s resolutions of 2020, there were some fairly recent research studies to pull them off. However, when I checked the major resolutions for 2021, it was not.
So I asked Polly for help.
Polly is an artificial intelligence patented by market research firm Advanced Symbolics Inc. which uses publicly available online information to create representative samples of any target population or audience. Polly examined what 274,779 Americans said were their New Year’s resolutions over the past four years to project what would be the top 10 New Year’s resolutions for 2021.
These are, according to Polly, the top ten New Year’s resolutions for 2021:
1. I really abide by the New Year’s resolution
2. Try something new
3. Eat more of my favorite foods
4. Lose weight / diet
5. Go to the gym
6. Be happier / better mentally healthy
7. Be healthier
8. Be a better person
9. Update my technology
10. Stay motivated
Says Kenton White, PhD, chief scientist at Advanced Symbolics Inc., about these resolutions for 2021:
While there are some common suspects in our findings, what really jumped out at me was the general trend toward self-care. We’re used to seeing things like physical health improvements in New Year’s resolutions, but it looks like by 2021 Americans want to take care of themselves, emotionally, mentally and physically. They want to improve themselves and their situation.
So what do you want in 2021? A better paid job? A more profitable business? Better relationships? Less stress? Happier and more committed employees?
Whatever it is, you can achieve it if you focus on your goal and don’t give up.