SURVEY SAYS: Have You Made a New Year's Resolution?

January 3, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - It's a brand new year, and one of the "traditions" associated with a new year is the making of New Year's Resolutions.

This week, I asked readers what – if any – resolutions had been made for the new year.

The second most common response – cited by more than 30%  of this week’s respondents – was to lose weight AND adopt healthier behaviors (about 6% chose only adopting healthier behaviors).   That was just ahead of the 29% who had resolved to make no resolutions – and just behind the 35% who chose “other” – more on those in a minute.

Other popular resolutions – we allowed for more than one choice, by the way) included saving more ( 17% ), working smarter ( 12% ), and breaking bad habits generally (nearly 10% ), with losing weight, spending more time with loved ones, and being better behaved each cited by 7% .

As for those “others” – well, this week they truly lived up to their name.   They included choices like “have more fun”, “gaining weight”, “setting aside time to pray”, pursuing more education/degrees, to get a new job – and, as one noted, “…to manage e-mail instead of letting it manage me.”   Some questioned waiting until the new year to make resolutions – others said they saw no sense in “clouding” the holiday season with such contemplations.

Among the best verbatims were the following:

“I try to take one day at a time – do what I need to for that day, be the best that I can be and to make the most of it.”

“Strive to be honest rather than always be ‘right.'”

“Actually follow our family budget for the entire year (not just for the first two weeks in January).”

“I’ve resolved not to respond to questions about whether I’ve made any New Year’s resolutions.”

“I’ve resolved not to make any resolutions until January 21. Hopefully they’ll have more meaning then. Besides, the average person drops out of a health club after 21 days. By the time I start my resolution to be more healthy, it will be a lot less crowded.”

“I’m trying to lessen the stress in my life so I don’t need the stress of resolutions. Seeking less stress therefore is not a resolution.”

“Lose 50 pounds in 52 weeks. Sounds reasonable. Ask me in two weeks.”

“I’m going to try to reduce my cussing and in general try to be kinder and gentler in my dealings with humanity. A feat made vastly difficult by being a commuting motorist!”

“As a compliance officer, my work-resolution is to be generally more understanding and kinder; it reads rather poorly as “be better behaved”.”

“I resolve to keep my perspective because all the people now flooding my health club will be gone in three weeks.”

“Today I resolved to throw out at least one rotten, forgotten, way-past-its-expiration-date item from the overflowing office refrigerator each day, regardless of who put it there.”

“I really mean it this time. No, really. Honest. I will not eat that candy bar, or that brownie, or anything that might taste good. I will eat tree bark for the rest of the year if that’s what it takes.”

But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said, “I’d like to say work less but unless the management’s New Years resolution is to staff adequately – I’ll be working more not less hours.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

This revelation is scary to me, but I actually miss the enforced exercise I was subjected to in school. Now I've been in the workforce for over 10 years. I sit at a desk for 8 hours per day. When I get home, I'm so mentally exhausted I can't even fathom exercising, and my general health sure shows it (I refuse to state how much weight I've gained). I am resolving to break my bad habit of getting home and sitting down in front of the tv. I am also resolving to eat healthier and move more. Wish me luck - I'm going to need it.

I'm trying to lessen the stress in my life so I don't need the stress of resolutions. Seeking less stress therefore is not a resolution.

I'm going to try to reduce my cussing and in general try to be kinder and gentler in my dealings with humanity. A feat made vastly difficult by being a commuting motorist!

Obviously, I need to make a lot of improvements in 2008. It's great to start the year on such a positive note.

As a compliance officer, my work-resolution is to be generally more understanding and kinder; it reads rather poorly as "be better behaved".

I stopped making New Year's resolutions long ago, when I realized I was just setting myself up for disappointment and self-loathing. Maybe I just don't get that they aren't meant to be taken seriously (?).

Usually, I don't make resolutions, because I don't stick to them. This year I feel motivated to make an official resolution because I want to hold myself accountable to something.

I really mean it this time. No, really. Honest. I will not eat that candy bar, or that brownie, or anything that might taste good. I will eat tree bark for the rest of the year if that's what it takes.

I'd like to say work less but unless the management's New Years resolution is to staff adequately - I'll be working more not less hours.

New Year's resolutions seem like a silly waste of time to me. Simply because the calendar is 1/1 is no reason to think I'll be any more (or less) motivated to accomplish goals I've never achieved before. Therefore, why waste the time, the minimal effort and the feelings of guilt and failure when you do finally give up on them (typically February 1st)? Oh and, Happy New Year!

I'm going to check off a few things on my "Life List" and maybe add a few new ones this year.

Unfortunately this is the same resolution I make most years. Maybe 2008 will be different, or am I just again showing my insanity?

I didn't make any resolutions this year. I'm exercising regularly, so I see no need to make THAT resolution. I would like to lose 5 - 10 pounds...for good...and that's a battle I constantly fight. I see no need to resolve to continue it since I am always continuing it.

Lose 50 pounds in 52 weeks. Sounds reasonable. Ask me in two weeks.

I've made losing weight my resolution in the past - this time I hope I'm more successful.

Call me cynical, but I find that New Year's Resolutions - with all their grand expectations - are generally a recipe for failure. I don't wait for arbitrary dates to resolve to do better.

Basically, I make the same ones every year. But I've already started on the Lose Weight one by resolving to sit less and just keep moving. I've lowered qualtities I'm putting in my mouth. I've come to terms with the guilt trip that if I don't finish everything, starving children in China will suffer. My stuffing everything into my mouth does not appear to be helping the starving children in China but it is killing me!

A person shouldn't wait until New Year's Day to make a resolution. If they were really committed to change, they wouldn't wait until the new year. That is probably why most New Year's resolutions don't last.

Work out and get in shape and try to eat more healthy.

I've only accomplished one resolution in my life. On Dec. 31st 1985 I quit smoking on a daily basis. But it wasn't until about 2000 that I really stopped smoking for good. After attending an ethics course I realized it was hypocritical to tell my kids not to smoke when I still did so on business trips and at parties. I made a pledge that day in front of two co-workers and haven't lit up since.

I once read something along the lines of "weak is he who can't keep resolutions; a fool is he who makes them."
Make achievable resolutions to be started on February 1, such as reapplying lipstick after lunch. The holiday season is much to fun-filled to be thinking about and making resolutions.
Why wait for the new year to make a resolution? I never understood why if someone decides to change something has to wait until the new year to adopt the changes.
Today I resolved to throw out at least one rotten, forgotten, way-past-its-expiration-date item from the overflowing office refrigerator each day, regardless of who put it there.
I try to take one day at a time - do what I need to for that day, be the best that I can be and to make the most of it.
Have more fun.
Get Organized
manage e-mail instead of letting it manage me.
Have my home phone disconnected (with cell phones, who needs it??)
Develope a reliable exercise program.
Spend more time with the family & friends. More exercise, fruit & vegetables.
Gain weight! One day I will tip the scale at 3 digits. Guess I should wish to be taller than 5-feet too. This has been my reoccuring resolution for many years.
I resolve to keep my perspective because all the people now flooding my health club will be gone in three weeks.
I have been told that I need to deal more effectively with employees whose behavior disrupts the office, so that's what I resolve to do.
Strive to be honest rather than always be "right."
Set aside time to pray.
Not really a resolution, but I am committed to "change" this year. It may be a change in my job, perhaps a change in my priorities in life. Who knows what that change will be? But I will change something in my life to improve my lifestyle and the lifestyle of my family.
Actually follow our family budget for the entire year (not just for the first two weeks in January)
I never make New Year's Resolutions, because that way, I can't disappoint myself for failing to keep them!
Get a new job!!
Spend more time studying the bible and with prayers.
I've resolved not to respond to questions about whether I've made any New Year's resolutions.
I have given up on New Year's resolutions. No so much because I don't need them, but more because I've never been able to get more than a month in the year and still be on them.
Take my GMAT and start my MBA.
Run my first marathon
Change is inevitable so to make a resolution seems fruitless from a work perspective. My personal resolution is to get through the next 1 1/2 years and then wave my fond farewell to the business world. As a baby boomer I am on my downward climb to golf, relaxation and enjoying my family.
Drop the sugar habit. I have fallen into a bad habit of thiniking I need dessert after each meal.
I also resolve to spend more time in meditation and in letting my spirit of love show through. It's there, but sometimes it gets buried by the pressures of work, employee attitudes, the disheartening news day and on and on. I resolve not to need to be right if acknowledgement of being right, diminishes someone else's self esteem. While my resolutions are made looking forward to the year, I resolve to live them day by day rather than looking too far ahead. If I can improve each day, it follows that by year's end, I will be in a better place than today.
I've resolved not to make any resolutions until January 21. Hopefully they'll have more meaning then. Besides, the average person drops out of a health club after 21 days. By the time I start my resolution to be more healthy, it will be a lot less crowded.

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