The holiday season is a time when we can all let our hair down for a while and indulge in our favorite things. From piling our plates up with turkey and gravy to having a Netflix binge for days on end, we’re allowed to enjoy some time with friends and family without having to worry about caloric intake, deadlines or dressing to impress.
Fast forward a few weeks and the beginning of a new year is another matter entirely. Americans love setting New Year’s resolutions, which can focus on anything from health and wellbeing to career progression, personal development, and other ways to live richer, fuller lives.
We were curious about what Americans plan to achieve in 2024, which is why we took a break from Kentucky sports betting and carried out a survey revealing what New Year’s resolutions are for the coming year and how long people think they’ll stick to them.
What is Your New Year's Resolution?
Many people set multiple New Year’s resolutions. Some just focus on a primary resolution they’re particularly passionate about. No matter one’s approach, we did all the research so you can know how your neighbors envisage their lifestyles in 2024.
Reduce Drinking Consumption — 9%
Nine percent of people surveyed said they plan to reduce their alcohol intake. Aside from saving money, this can come with a range of health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and levels of blood sugar, fewer alcohol-related symptoms like heartburn and headaches, better quality of sleep, and improved mental wellbeing.
Learn a New Skill or Hobby — 17%
We all strive to be better versions of ourselves, which is why skills development is a popular choice for a New Year’s resolution. Whether it’s learning a new language or becoming an expert knitter, 17% of people aim to learn a new skill or hobby next year.
Advance Career, Find a New Job — 18%
Sometimes we can find ourselves stuck in a rut at work or feeling unhappy with the company culture surrounding us. Eighteen percent of people want to advance in their career or find a new job in 2024, which is a great way to explore new opportunities, unleash your potential, and perhaps add a significant pay increase to the mix.
Travel More, Explore New Places — 23%
It could be a road trip to states you’ve never visited or perhaps an overseas adventure in exotic climes. Either way, 23% of respondents said they want to travel more and explore new places.
Strengthen Relationships With Family, Friends — 25%
This one choked us up a bit, as 25% of people want to strengthen relationships with family and friends. This is a truly selfless and heartfelt New Year’s resolution, and you don’t have to wait until January to get started.
Improve Mental Health, Reduce Stress — 30%
Though improving mental health and reducing stress can be a difficult thing to achieve, it actually ties in with other New Year’s resolutions. For instance, getting a better job, spending more time with family, losing weight, and going on vacation can all help us to overcome stress, anxiety and depression. Thirty percent of people want to reduce stress in 2024, and we wish them the very best of luck with it.
Lose Weight, Get Fit — 30%
This is the timeless classic of New Year’s resolutions, as the “new year, new me” mentality often revolves around diet, fitness and physical appearance. If you’re part of the 30% of people who want to achieve this, make sure to enjoy the festive period and then look into a meal plan and gym subscription that work for you.
Eat Healthier, Improve Diet — 38%
The food we eat isn’t always about shedding a few pounds, as many people are an ideal weight but know they could improve the quality of the ingredients on their plates. Thirty-eight percent of Americans have this as their New Year’s resolution, so we suggest looking at ways to reduce the amount of salt and sugar you eat, incorporate more vegetables into your meals, buy local and organic produce, and perhaps try going vegan if you haven’t already. Most of all, make sure to drink plenty of fresh water.
Save money and budget better — 40%
Surveys really do reflect the time they were carried out. With the current cost-of-living crisis affecting many Americans, the top New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to save money and budget better. Forty percent of the people we spoke to want to spend less money in a sustainable way, which can be a real challenge but it can be done.
On average, how long do you stick to your New Year's resolutions? It’s one thing setting yourself a New Year’s resolution, but will you follow through with it for a full year and beyond? That’s what we asked our survey takers, and we were impressed with how honest they all were. Only 14% of the people we spoke to said they keep to their NY resolutions for more than one year. Nine percent said they will probably last 6-12 months and 16% went as low as 3-6 months.
States That Stick to Resolutions
The real question is, which states have the most (and least) confidence in their willpower? Here are the top performers when it comes to the average date people give up their New Year’s resolutions.
People in Mississippi say they’ll probably give up on their New Year’s resolutions on April 28, which is almost a third of the way through the year. Residents of Washington are more optimistic and say May 3, whereas in Georgia people think May 24 is a more respectable time to throw in the towel. Those in Nevada clearly have more staying power, as they reckon May 28 is around the time their New Year’s resolution will falter. That doesn’t quite cut the mustard with people in Minnesota though, as they’ve added an extra two days and confidently predict their resolution lasting all the way to May 30.
Kentucky’s New Year’s Resolutions
Here in Kentucky, the main focuses were on improving wellness and finances — 43% of Kentuckians wanted to save money and budget better, closely followed by 40% focusing on eating healthier and improving their diet. Just behind that, the third-most common New Year’s resolution in Kentucky was to improve mental health and reduce stress, with 36% of people wanting this in the new year.
But unfortunately for many that might be unlikely — according to our survey, 73% of Kentucky residents give up their New Year’s resolutions within the first month, with almost a quarter (21%) giving up their resolutions in the first week of January.
If one of your resolutions is to enjoy more sports, then check out BetKentucky.com for all the latest on Kentucky betting apps.
Methodology
In total, 3,000 Americans over 21 were polled between Oct. 31 and Nov. 3. On the question about types of resolutions, respondents were able to pick all that applied to them. Of those surveyed, 49% were male and 51% were female. The age breakdown of participants included in this survey was 20% in the range 21-34, 19% in the range 35-44, 19% in the range 44-54, 18% in the range 55-64, and 24% over 65.
Author
The BetKentucky.com Staff is comprised of seasoned sports betting experts, writers, analysts, and editors. Our content is based on experience, data, and analytical insights to provide the best reviews of sports betting apps in Kentucky.
