Why it’s a good idea to make New Year’s resolutions, even if most of them fail
Many projects, such as quitting smoking or eating healthier, end up being abandoned, but that doesn’t diminish the value of the attempt
When you want to embark on a difficult project, such as quitting smoking or starting to run three times a week, it’s natural to wonder whether it’s really worth it. For excuses or motivation, some look to science as a source of certainty, and can find support for almost any decision. Studies about keeping New Year’s resolutions suggest that, in the long term, most fail. A classic paper on the subject from 1989 estimated that 77% kept their resolutions for a week, 55% for a month, and 40% made it to half a year. After two years of follow-up, only 19% had stuck to it. More recent data on weight-loss attempts may seem even more discouraging. In the long term, only 5 to 10% manage to maintain their initial reduction, a success rate similar to that of smokers trying to quit.
