The Beginning of 2026 will present many with the opportunity to make big plans for the new year. Those resolutions fall generally into two categories: conservative or progressive. A conservative option might be something like, “I will brush my teeth twice a day instead of just once.” It’s a small thing that is easily achieved with little or no effort. This category is for people delighted to receive participation trophies. On the other hand, there is the progressive resolution. At the extreme, such an aspiration would look like, “I will solve world hunger.” A noble wish, but highly unlikely to be fulfilled. Progressive resolutions are challenging and, more often than not, set goals beyond reach. The underlying question is whether conservative of progressive, why do people set objectives for their behaviors to start a new calendar year?
Asking for Failure
As Liberty Nation News observed, “The fact is that most people who make a New Year’s resolution will fail. Most people won’t quit smoking. They won’t exercise or lose weight. They won’t do all those things they pledged to do.” According to Statista, America’s top five resolutions for 2026 are, in descending order:
To exercise more 48%
To save more money 46%
To eat healthier 45%
To spend more time with family and friends 42%
To lose weight 31%
As a takeaway from number five, a Centers for Disease Control 2023 survey found that obesity was prevalent in 40% of, or roughly 105 million, American adults. Of the relatively small number of people who vow to lose weight, few succeed. It would seem that losing weight is in the progressive category. Overall, according to a Drive Research study titled “New Year’s Resolutions Statistics and Trends,” of all the New Year’s resolutions made across all categories, only 9% are kept for a full year – a statistic that has remained constant for the past decade. Twenty-three percent quit after the first week.
Looking at an article found in the online resource VeryWellMind.com titled “The Psychology Behind Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail,” we see that:
“Whether it’s to lose weight, get out of debt, pursue a coveted hobby, socialize more, or something else, for many, making New Year's resolutions is part of the festivities. And with so many people committing to goals for the new year, the hope and optimism that change can happen is in the air. The reality is, however, that over 90% of New Year’s resolutions will be abandoned within just a few months.”
Again, analyzing the top five resolutions reveals a relationship among at least three of the objectives. If one eats healthier and exercises more, there is a good chance weight loss will follow. Failing at either of the former will more than likely make the latter much harder.
There is an interesting statistic on why people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions. Again, according to VeryWellMind.com, “In one 2014 study, 35% of participants who failed their New Year’s Resolutions said they had unrealistic goals.” In other words, their aspirations placed them squarely in the progressive resolution camp – their reach exceeded their grasp.
Conservative Resolutions More Likely to Succeed
All resolutions have some rate of failure, of course, but some researchers believe that the more specific a goal is, the more likely it is to be achieved. For example, what exactly does “exercise more” mean? It’s vague and therefore not measurable. On the other hand, a resolution that states: “I will walk around my block twice each evening,” is specific and measurable and more likely to be followed. It would fall into the conservative category.
The conclusion we are left with is that conservative and progressive New Year’s resolutions are defined by how realistically difficult or easy they are to achieve. For some, losing weight is as difficult as boiling the ocean. On the other hand, making a vow to brush your teeth once in the morning and once in the evening may not be cataclysmic in its impact, but it is conservative, achievable, and should elicit some satisfaction. If you are inclined to make New Year’s resolutions, be conservative. Some participation trophies are not so bad.
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The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliate.
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