Exercise, weight loss, healthier eating, quitting smoking and quitting drinking top this list of the New Year resolutions people break most. A 2007 University of Bristol study of 3,000 people found that 88 percent of those who set resolutions failed, according to Wikipedia’s summary of the research. Here are 15 common resolutions and why they tend to break.
Updated October 24, 2026.
The new year is here, and you have thought hard about the resolutions you want to keep. Now comes the hard part, sticking with them. Most of us have said “this year is different” on January 1 and forgotten the plan by the middle of February.
So why do they break? A 2014 finder.com.au survey, reported in Wikipedia’s New Year’s resolution article, asked the people who gave up. Thirty-five percent said the goal was too big. Another 33 percent never tracked how they were doing, and 23 percent simply forgot.
Every January, a lot of people start with nearly the same short list. The resolutions that last have a number attached, a start date and one change at a time. The ones that fade are the ones that sound good at a party.
Exercise more: the most common New Year resolution
Exercise is the number one resolution, and the one that comes with a built-in target. Gyms get crowded in January, and many of those new memberships go unused before long. Anyone who has walked into a gym on January 2 knows every machine has a line. The CDC’s adult guideline is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, such as 30 minutes on five days, plus muscle-strengthening work on at least two days. Vague goals like “get in shape” fall apart; a number gives you something to miss or hit. In the Bristol study, Wikipedia reports, men who used measurable goals succeeded 22 percent more often.
Lose weight: a resolution that needs a number
With the holidays behind us, weight loss tops many lists. The usual trap is the crash plan, which asks for a change nobody can hold. Many people cut back hard or try a fad diet, and that drive often fades within a few weeks. Unrealistic goals were the most common reason for failure in the finder.com.au survey, at 35 percent. A smaller target you can track beats a big one you give up on.
Eat healthier
This is a worthy resolution, and breaking old habits is hard. Packaged, processed and fast food are always closer than the vegetables, and it is easy to lose your willpower when so many tempting options sit right in front of you. Most of us have gone to the store with a plan for salad and come home with chips. The fix is one swap at a time, a vegetable added to a meal you already cook, instead of a whole new diet.
Quit smoking: a resolution that takes several tries
Like bad eating habits, smoking is a hard habit to break. The CDC’s 2022 data shows the gap between trying and succeeding. Of adults who smoked, 53.3 percent tried to quit in the past year, and 8.8 percent quit successfully. The CDC says tobacco dependence often takes multiple tries, and that using counseling and medication together gives the best chance. Only 38.3 percent of people who tried or quit in the prior two years used either one.
Quit drinking
This resolution is hard to carry alone. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism lists three kinds of help: behavioral treatment led by health care providers, mutual-support groups, which it describes as free and flexible, and three medications approved for alcohol use disorder in the United States (naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram). If drinking has become a physical dependence, a clinician should guide the change.
Enjoy life to the fullest
It means different things to different people, usually doing more of what you enjoy. That breaks because it has no schedule. Even on vacation, a lot of us are still thinking about work, so enjoying life gets pushed to the side. Put one thing you like on the calendar every week and the resolution has a shape.
Find a new job
Maybe the work is not fulfilling, or maybe the boss is a real scrooge. Either way, plenty of people start the year wanting a new job. A job search is a project with many small steps: the resume, the contacts, the applications. People announce the goal in January and skip the steps. Weekly targets, such as five applications or two conversations, turn the wish into a routine.
Manage stress better
Stress is hard to measure, and there are so many stressors in life, which makes this resolution easy to abandon. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests concrete steps: exercise and regular healthy meals, a sleep routine, breathing or mindfulness exercises, leaning on supportive friends or family, cutting back on caffeine, and keeping a journal. It adds that if symptoms will not go away, it may be time to talk to a professional, and that anyone in immediate distress should call or text 988.
Spend less
Spending less fails when it depends on willpower in the moment, and some of the causes are outside your control. In the finder.com.au survey, 33 percent of people who failed said they did not track their progress. Looking at last month’s statement is a free first step.
Save money: the resolution that needs automation
Saving goes hand in hand with spending less, and it breaks in the same place. The extra money from being careful sits in the checking account and gets spent instead of going into savings. A scheduled transfer on payday moves it out of reach before you can spend it.
Spend more time with family and friends
For most of us, family and friends matter most, yet we get wrapped up in our own routines and let them slide. The resolution works when it is a standing plan, such as a weekly dinner or a monthly call, instead of a promise to see people more. Anyone who has said “we should get together soon” and then watched six months go by knows how this one goes.
Get organized
Clutter here, clutter there. Clutter wins because the project is too big to start. Pick one drawer, one shelf or one inbox and finish it. A small win this week is worth more than a plan to reorganize the house.
Learn something new
A new language, hobby or skill is a classic January start. The trick, and the reason people fail at this one, is to pick something achievable. You may want to learn to surf, but if you cannot swim yet, start with the swimming.
Travel more
Travel more can mean a regional road trip or a far-off destination, depending on the person. Either way it takes the discipline to save the money and find the time in a busy life, and both vanish unless you book something. A deposit on one trip does more than a list of places you want to see.
Read more
A novel, a biography or a stack of history works for this resolution, and so do short stories and current affairs. Most people start out setting aside time every day. Then time pressure and routine get in the way. Most of us have a stack of books on the nightstand that has been there since last year. Fifteen minutes before bed keeps the habit alive on busy weeks.
Why do New Year resolutions fail?
How many people break their New Year resolutions?
In a 2007 University of Bristol study of 3,000 people, 88 percent of those who set resolutions failed, according to Wikipedia’s summary. That is even though 52 percent were confident at the start. Another account in the same article says about 40 percent of Americans made resolutions around the start of the 21st century.
What is the main reason resolutions fail?
In a 2014 finder.com.au survey, which Wikipedia cites, 35 percent of people who failed said their goals were unrealistic, 33 percent said they did not track their progress, and 23 percent said they forgot. That points to the same three fixes: a smaller goal, a number to track and a reminder.
Which New Year resolution is hardest to keep?
No single dataset ranks them, but quitting smoking shows how hard a change can be. The CDC’s 2022 data shows 53.3 percent of adults who smoked tried to quit in the past year and 8.8 percent succeeded. The CDC says it often takes multiple tries and that counseling plus medication works best.
How do you keep a New Year resolution?
Set one measurable goal, track it and keep it realistic. For exercise, the CDC’s benchmark is 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. In the Bristol study, men who used measurable goals succeeded 22 percent more often, according to Wikipedia. Choose a start date that suits you, because a January 1 start is not required.