I know it sucks to admit,  but statistical information has pointed to the fact that most New Year’s resolutions fail. An article written by students of Ohio State University has found that “23% of people quit their resolution by the end of the first week” (Batts, Richards). That’s not all, the article goes further to explain that the percentage of people dropping their resolutions before the end of January is a whopping 43%. The average American success rate is just 9%. So why do we still do it? Tradition? I believe as a society it goes deeper.

Piedmont Healthcare weighs their two cents in with an article that states that we do New Years resolutions as Dennis Buttimer, a facilitator of Thomas F. Chapman Family Cancer Wellness, puts it “‘The New Years offers a blank slate- an opportunity to set things right.’” (Buttimer, Dennis). Piedmont goes further by explaining the neurological science of this resolution mystery. Making a resolution triggers a neuro-hormone, dopamine, that controls the reward and pleasure center along with the regulator of our emotional responses. That right there is the problem, while you are making your resolution your dopamine levels are high, you are partying, watching the ball drops, and eating chocolate covered lays (just me? ok), but eventually those dopamine levels will drop just like the ball. If there is a lack of structure along with the lack of dopamine then the resolution’s probability of succeeding drops.

The moral of this article is not to bum you out on a well-loved tradition but to remind you that you’re not alone. You are not a bad person because you don’t succeed at your resolution. This article is also a message, a message that says ‘I believe in you’ if you keep structure in your resolution then you can succeed. Be the 9%.

Information Citation:

Batts, Richards. “Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail” Fisher.osu.edu, February 2, 2023. Piedmont Health. “Why Do People Make New Year’s Resolutions?” Piedmont.org, 2019.