Do New Year’s Resolutions Really Work?
William Petitt, Staff Writer

It’s the same drill every year. By New Year’s Eve, all everyone can talk about is how they are going to change for the better this upcoming year. However, among all the positive intentions, research from the University of Scranton assets only 8% of the American population is able to keep their New Year’s Resolutions. Given that half of Americans(around 150 million people) have New Year’s Resolutions, why do only 8% of the resolutions made work?
One reason many experts say New Year’s Resolutions don’t work most of the time is because they are too broad. Some of the most common resolutions according to researcher John Norcross are to lose weight, quit smoking, better money management and debt reduction(All Norcross’s other findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology). It is not hard to tell that these common goals are all extremely broad. A better goal might be to lose 30 pounds in six months. Experts cite that specifics are very helpful when forming a goal because it holds you accountable and gives you exactly what to work for instead of just making a general statement with no clear answer.
Another reason New Year’s Resolutions fail to work so often is because they are too large of a goal. A larger goal might seem achievable at the end of December but unsurmountable come January. Smaller goals would be a better idea, instead of one giant goal.
A third reason New Year’s Revolutions fail so often is that there is no real commitment. Many people I know come up with New Year’s Resolutions just because, and expect change. A half-hearted commitment will always fail. You must also have motivation and a personal reason for your resolution. If your resolution is more than a blanket statement to you, then your success of achievement is much likely.
New Year’s Resolutions work if you make them work. Having specific, smaller achievable goals and some commitment and motivation can drastically increase the success of of your goal. With these aspects as part of your resolution, you’ll find having a successful New Year’s Resolution is much easier than you would’ve thought.