New Year, no resolution: Why a tradition is fading, and who's still keeping it alive

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — New Year’s is right around the corner, so it’s time to consider your resolution for 2026.

Or, if you’re like most Americans, perhaps you’ll just skip the whole thing.

According to a Pew Research Center analysis from 2024, it appears 3 in 10 Americans reported making a resolution, with half that group making more than one — a statistic that holds up even in 2025.

When it comes to this time of year, it may be difficult to figure out a resolution, let alone stick with it.

A YouGov survey released Dec. 23 found 1,104 U.S. adults listed exercising more as their resolution for the New Year.

That was followed by being happy, eating healthier, saving more money, improving physical health, losing weight, improving mental health, learning something new, spending more time with family and praying more.

In an article released with the YouGov survey, data journalist Jamie Ballard states that last year, the top resolution was saving more money.

The rest of the Top 10 resolutions are similar to the 2026 list, with the addition of reading more.

Pew Research Center’s findings were similar, with 79% of respondents focusing their resolution on health, exercise. or diet.

That was followed by 61% focusing on money and finances; 57% homing in on relationships with family and friends; 55% looking at hobbies or personal interests; and 49% looking at something related to their work or career.

Resolutions more popular among the young

Probably the most surprising element of the New Year’s tradition may be who is actually engaging with New Year’s Resolutions.

It’s predominantly young Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Pew Research Study’s survey showed respondents aged 18 to 29 were most engaged, with 49% stating they made at least one resolution for 2026.

About 31% of the participants aged 30 to 49 made at least one resolution, closely reflecting the national average.

Only 24% of those in the 50 to 64 bracket and a mere 18% of those aged 65 or older said they would participate in the tradition.

“Younger Americans are more likely than older Americans to make resolutions about each of these topics [including money and finances, relationships with family and friends, hobbies or personal interests, and work and career], apart from health,” Shanay Gracia states in the Pew Research Center article.

“This is especially the case for work and career: 65% of those under age 30 who made resolutions say they made one related to their work or career. This is by far the largest share of any age group.”

The jury still is out on exactly why younger individuals are more likely to commit to resolutions, though the concept of a wide-open future may play a part.

In August, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation released the “2025 Voices of Gen Z” study, which found that while younger individuals reported a decline in wellbeing that year, 77% of Gen Z respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they have a great future ahead of them.

It could simply be that that outlook reinforces the notion of positive changes via resolutions.

The drive for change

So why do people even set a goal when the New Year rolls around?

According to Psychological Assessment Resources Inc., there are a few common factors for those who participate in the tradition.

One is the fresh start effect.

According to PAR, “The fresh start effect motivates individuals to pursue aspirational goals immediately after a big landmark, such as the start of a new year.”

Such moments are natural opportunities for positive change, and aligning that change with a time frame can help in working toward a goal, according to PAR.

“Research on the fresh start effect shows that creating these new mental periods of time helps individuals to put past periods of imperfections behind them and can help motivate aspirational behaviors that make it more likely to stick to those goals than ones that were made with no mental benchmarks,” according to a PAR article titled The Psychology Behind New Year’s Resolutions.

Additional reasons for resolutions include providing direction and purpose driven by a desire for personal improvement and growth, and creating social connection and community building through shared goals.

And, of course, the dopamine hit the brain gets when achieving a goal.

Why resolutions fail, and how to succeed

But why do people drop their resolutions, or not bother making them in the first place?

Well, according to Pew Research Center, at least a month into the new year, 87% of people who made resolutions said they had kept at least one, with 59% stating they kept all of their resolutions and 28% saying they kept at least some.

About 13% said they kept none of their resolutions.

But of the 70% who just don’t make resolutions, 56% said they simply do not like to make them.

About 12% said they didn’t engage because they break their resolutions too easily, 9% said they couldn’t think of resolution to make and 6% said they forgot to make one.

So as the year comes to a close and we stare down 2026, how can you set a resolution and stick to it?

Turns out, it’s largely about being specific and realistic.

In an article for Kaiser Permanente, Melanie Haiken provided a list of tips to help ensure you stick with a resolution.

They include knowing exactly why you’re doing it, being very specific — such as stating “I will run three miles a day” instead of “exercise more” — and using habit-forming tricks.

Also, asking for help, tracking progress, seeking out inspiration and, perhaps most importantly, forgiving mistakes.

That last one is integral, as a minor setback — say, skipping a gym day or binging on snacks — can derail a positive streak if you look at it as a complete failure of the overall goal, experts say.

“What would you say to a friend who confessed she got depressed and raided the cookie jar?” Haiken writes.

“You’d react with sympathy and understanding, then support her efforts to get back on track. Be your own best friend and do the same.”