Let's Talk with Jenny White/New Year Resolutions, How Long Do They Last?

PJC Media

How long do New Year's resolutios last? Most people quit soon after many of them make the resolution, but on January 1, don't keep them into February. New Year's resolutions are the very definition of best-laid plans. Most of us ring in the new year with ambitious intentions to lose weight, exercise more, or quit smoking, but our freshly minted goals are likely to fall apart even before February. That's according to 2018 data from Strava, a social network for athletes. The company analyzed more than 31.5 million fitness records from its users and found that the second Friday in January is the fateful day when most of our annual commitments starts to crumble. So, for 2020, that's January 10. Sticking to resolutions is hard and we all know there's a lot of talk and pressure in January about getting fitter and being healthier. Granted, Strava's research only draws from its own user base, so it's slightly skewed, but an oftcited 1988 study from the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment produced similar findings: only 55 percent of participants stuck to their resoluitions for a full month. To make a resolution and stick with it: 1. Set a concrete goal that you truly believe you can achieve; 2. Don't fret the occasional slip-up; 3. Reward yourself; 4. Change your surroundings; and 5. Use the buddy system.