45 percent of Americans usually make resolutions
17 percent of Americans infrequently make resolutions
38 percent of Americans never make resolutions
8 percent of Americans successfully achieve their resolutions
49 percent of Americans infrequently achieve their resolutions
24 percent of Americans never achieve their resolutions
(statistics via StaticBrain.com)
Everyone has that one friend who is determined to start working out for his or her New Year's resolution. Then, a month later, no one is surprised when that same person fails miserably, his or her willpower shot.
He or she isn’t the only one. New Year's resolutions are very popular on social media. Numerous Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts saying what this year’s resolution will be flood the Internet feeds shortly after the ball drops.
The ball isn’t the only thing dropped. Many people don’t follow through with their New Year's resolutions.
According to Statistic Brain's website, only 64 percent of people who have made resolutions stick with them through the first month of the year, and only 45 percent keep their goals for six months.
The constant cycle of making and breaking resolutions is something that can be remedied with proper planning.
Associate Director of Career Development Brandon Bute from the Ball State Career Center helps students on a daily basis with setting their goals.
“For a student to create an effective goal for themselves, they need to spend some time in self discovery,” Bute said.
Bute said that one thing a goal has to have is a deadline, and it has to be measurable in some way.
“All of this advice is laid out in the S.M.A.R.T. philosophy of goal-setting,” he said.
This acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based.
Many resolutions that people choose cover these aspects of a good goal, according to Bute's philosophy.
According to the Statistic Brain website, the top five New Year's resolutions are:
1. Losing weight
2. Getting organized
3. Spending less and saving more
4. Enjoying life to the fullest
5. Staying fit and being healthy
All of these resolutions are ways through which people try to improve their lives, but the problem most people face is sticking to them.
“My New Year's resolution is that I want to wake up in the morning and eat breakfast instead of going straight to my classes,” general studies major Miranda Martin said.
Martin said it is a simple but important resolution she wants to incorporate in her daily routine.
“I plan to set a lot of alarms,” she said.
Many students like Martin have already made their New Year’s resolutions. The key is to continue progressing within their goal.
“As long as you are moving forward, even if that movement forward is small, you’re still getting one step closer to achieving your goal,” Bute said.
DN PHOTOS SMANTHA BRAMMER
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