The short answer
The best new year’s resolutions for 2027 are specific, positive habits you can start small, such as walking 20 minutes a day, saving a fixed amount every payday or calling one friend each week. In the latest YouGov poll, exercising more topped the list at 25%, followed by being happier, eating healthier and saving money.
- Most common resolutions: exercise more (25%), be happier (23%), eat healthier (22%), save more money (21%), per YouGov’s December 2025 poll.
- What works best: “start doing” goals beat “stop doing” goals, 58.9% vs. 47.1% success in a one-year study.
- When people quit: Strava data flagged the second Friday of January as “Quitter’s Day,” which is January 8, 2027.
- How long a habit takes: about 66 days on average in a University College London study, with a wide range.
- Realistic rule: pick one to three resolutions, attach each to a when-and-where plan and track it weekly.
31%
Americans who planned a 2026 resolution (YouGov)
25%
Chose “exercise more,” the No. 1 resolution
55%
Still succeeding after one year (PLOS ONE study)
Jan 8
Quitter’s Day 2027 (second Friday of January)
Last checked: October 14, 2026. Survey figures come from the most recent published polls; we will update this guide when 2027 polls are released in December.
In this article
New Year’s resolutions are personal goals people set for the coming year, usually on or around January 1. New Year’s Day 2027 falls on Friday, January 1, so you get a long weekend to plan before the first full week starts. If you are still in holiday mode, our Christmas 2026 guide covers everything between now and then.
This guide gives you more than 50 resolution ideas sorted by category, then shows what the research says about keeping them. Every statistic below comes from a named survey or peer-reviewed study, and you will find the links inline. As a result, you can choose goals with evidence behind them instead of guessing.
What Are New Year’s Resolutions, and Do People Still Make Them?
A New Year’s resolution is a promise to yourself to start, change or stop a behavior in the new year, and roughly three in ten Americans still make one. However, the habit is far more common among younger adults than older ones.
In a YouGov poll of 1,104 U.S. adults taken December 9 to 11, 2025, 31% said they would make a resolution or set a goal for 2026. Similarly, adults under 45 were about twice as likely as older Americans to plan one (43% vs. 21%). Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center survey of 5,140 adults in January 2024 found that 49% of 18- to 29-year-olds had made a resolution, compared with 21% of adults 50 and older.
So why does January 1 feel like the right moment? Researchers at Wharton call it the “fresh start effect,” meaning that people feel more motivated after a date that marks a new beginning. According to a summary from the Association for Psychological Science, Google searches for “diet” spiked at the New Year and also at the start of each week and month. In other words, January is a powerful starting line, but it is not your only one.
What Are the Most Common New Year’s Resolutions?
The top resolutions are exercising more, being happier, eating healthier, saving more money and improving physical health. Health goals dominate every major survey, although money goals briefly took first place for 2025.
| Rank | Resolution | Share of U.S. adults |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exercise more | 25% |
| 2 | Be happier | 23% |
| 3 | Eat healthier | 22% |
| 4 | Save more money | 21% |
| 4 | Improve physical health | 21% |
For comparison, saving more money led YouGov’s list for 2025 at 26%, with exercising more second at 22%. Pew asked the question differently, by area of life, and among resolution-makers it found these shares:
| Resolution area | Share of resolution-makers |
|---|---|
| Health, exercise or diet | 79% |
| Money or finances | 61% |
| Personal relationships | 57% |
| Hobbies or personal interests | 55% |
| Work or career | 49% |
Because most people pick health and money, the ideas below start there. Still, the categories further down, such as relationships and personal growth, are often easier to keep because they are less crowded with all-or-nothing expectations.
New Year’s Resolution Ideas for 2027 by Category
The best new year’s resolution ideas are small, measurable actions inside a bigger goal. For example, “get fit” becomes “walk 20 minutes after lunch on weekdays.” Pick the category that matters most to you, then choose one or two items.
Health and fitness resolutions
Health is the most popular category, so anchor it to a clear benchmark. The CDC’s adult guidelines call for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days.
- Walk 30 minutes, five days a week (that alone reaches 150 minutes).
- Do two short strength sessions a week covering legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms and core.
- Add one serving of vegetables to dinner every night.
- Keep a water bottle at your desk and refill it at lunch.
- Set a fixed bedtime that gives you at least seven hours of sleep.
- Cook at home one more night per week than you do now.
- Book the checkups you have been postponing, such as a dental cleaning or annual physical.
- Sign up for a 5K, a charity walk or a class that puts a date on your calendar.
Sleep deserves its own resolution. According to the CDC, adults ages 18 to 60 need seven or more hours a night, while teens 13 to 17 need eight to 10 hours. If that feels out of reach, start with our science-backed sleep hacks.
Money resolutions
Money goals work best when they are automatic. The Federal Reserve’s 2025 household survey, released May 13, 2026, found that 63% of adults would cover a $400 emergency expense with cash or its equivalent, so building that cushion is a smart first target.
- Set up an automatic transfer to savings on every payday, even if it is $25.
- Build a starter emergency fund of $400, then one month of expenses.
- Write a simple monthly budget and review it on the first Sunday of each month.
- Cancel one subscription you have not used in 60 days.
- Pick one debt and pay more than the minimum on it every month.
- Raise your retirement contribution by 1 percentage point.
- Try a 24-hour waiting rule before any nonessential purchase over $50.
- Check your credit reports and set a calendar reminder to do it again.
Career and learning resolutions
Nearly half of Pew’s resolution-makers had a work or career goal. The most useful ones build a skill you can point to by December.
- Learn one in-demand skill and finish one project that proves it; our list of high-income skills you can learn without a degree is a good place to start.
- Update your resume and LinkedIn profile before the end of January.
- Have one coffee chat with someone in your field each month.
- Read 12 books, one a month, in your field or outside it.
- Ask your manager for clear goals and a mid-year check-in.
- Protect one focused, meeting-free block every workday.
- Start a small side project and give it a deadline.
Relationship and family resolutions
Relationships came third in Pew’s survey, and these goals tend to be cheap and easy to schedule.
- Eat dinner together as a family at least three nights a week.
- Call or video-chat one friend or relative every week.
- Write a birthday list and send a card or message to everyone on it.
- Plan one screen-free evening per week.
- Join a club, team or volunteer group to meet new people.
- Reach out to repair one relationship that drifted.
Happiness and well-being resolutions
“Be happier” was the second most common resolution for 2026, yet it is too vague to track. Instead, turn it into daily actions like these.
- Write down three good things before bed each night.
- Spend 10 minutes outside every morning.
- Set a daily social media time limit on your phone.
- Keep your phone out of the bedroom.
- Say no to one commitment a month that drains you.
- Talk to a professional if stress or low mood is lasting; that is a strong resolution, not a weak one.
Personal growth and hobby resolutions
More than half of Pew’s resolution-makers set a hobby goal. These are also the most fun to keep.
- Learn 10 minutes of a new language a day.
- Pick up an instrument, drawing or photography and practice twice a week.
- Visit one new place each month, even if it is in your own city.
- Declutter one drawer, shelf or closet every weekend.
- Grow herbs or vegetables this spring.
- Keep a one-line-a-day journal.
What Makes a Good Resolution Realistic?
Good new year’s resolutions are specific, positively framed and small enough to do on a bad day. Therefore, the fastest upgrade is to rewrite a vague goal as a concrete habit with a time and place.
| Vague resolution | Realistic version | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Get in shape | Walk 30 minutes after lunch, Monday to Friday | Matches the CDC’s 150-minute weekly guideline |
| Stop eating junk food | Eat a piece of fruit with lunch every day | “Start” goals outperformed “stop” goals in research |
| Save more | Auto-transfer $50 to savings every payday | Removes the daily decision |
| Be happier | Write three good things before bed | Turns a feeling into a trackable action |
| Read more | Read 10 pages before bed | Small enough to do every night |
| Spend less time on my phone | Phone charges in the kitchen overnight | Changes the environment, not willpower |
How many resolutions should you make?
One to three is a practical number. Pew found that half of resolution-makers set more than one, but each extra goal competes for the same time and attention. As a result, many coaches suggest one “keystone” habit plus one or two easy wins.
Pro tip. Flip every “stop” into a “start.” Instead of “stop snacking at night,” try “make herbal tea at 9 p.m.” In a one-year study, people with approach-style goals succeeded 58.9% of the time versus 47.1% for avoidance-style goals.
Resolutions for Students and Couples
Students and couples do best with resolutions built around their routines: class schedules for students and shared time for couples. Here are ideas for each.
New year’s resolutions for students
For students, the most useful resolutions protect sleep and study time. Notably, the CDC recommends eight to 10 hours of sleep for teens, so a consistent bedtime counts as an academic goal too.
- Start assignments the day they are given, even for 15 minutes.
- Use a planner or calendar app for every deadline.
- Study in 25-minute focused blocks with your phone in another room.
- Go to office hours or ask a teacher one question a week.
- Join one club, sport or volunteer group.
- Track spending from a part-time job or allowance in a simple app.
New year’s resolutions for couples
For couples, shared resolutions work when both people choose them and they add time together rather than pressure.
- Schedule one date night a month, alternating who plans it.
- Hold a 20-minute money check-in on the first weekend of each month.
- Cook a new recipe together every other week.
- Take an evening walk together after dinner.
- Save for one shared trip and track the fund together.
- Put phones away during meals.
How to Stick to Your Resolutions: What Research Shows
To stick to your goals, frame them as something to start, make an if-then plan, get light support and expect the habit to take about two months. Each step below comes from published research.
1. Make it an “approach” goal
First, phrase the goal as something you will do. A 2020 PLOS ONE study by Stockholm University researchers followed 1,066 people for a year. Approach-oriented resolutions, such as starting a habit, succeeded 58.9% of the time, while avoidance-oriented ones, such as quitting something, succeeded 47.1% of the time. Overall, 55% of respondents considered themselves successful after one year.
2. Write an if-then plan
Next, decide exactly when and where you will act: “If it is 7 a.m. on a weekday, then I walk around the block.” Psychologists call this an implementation intention, which is a plan that links a situation to a specific action. A widely cited 2006 meta-analysis by Peter Gollwitzer and Paschal Sheeran, covering 94 tests, found a medium-to-large effect on goal attainment (d = 0.65).
3. Get some support, but not too much
Then, tell someone and check in occasionally. In the same PLOS ONE study, the group that received some support had the highest success rate (62.3%), compared with 55.9% for no support. Surprisingly, the group given extended support did not do better than the no-support group (52.5%). In short, a friend who checks in monthly may help more than an intense program.
4. Give it about 66 days
Also, expect a new habit to feel automatic only after weeks of repetition. In a University College London study led by Phillippa Lally and published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, 96 volunteers repeated a daily health behavior. Among participants whose data fit the model, reaching automaticity took 66 days on average, with individual estimates ranging from 18 days to a predicted 254 days. A single missed day had little impact on later progress, although many missed days added up. In other words, one slip is not a reason to quit.
5. Use fresh starts to restart
Finally, if you fall off, restart on the next landmark rather than waiting for 2028. The fresh start research found that motivation also rises at the start of a new week, a new month, a new semester and right after a birthday. That said, the best restart day is usually the next Monday.
When Do Most People Give Up on New Year’s Resolutions?
Many people slip in the second week of January. Fitness app Strava analyzed its users’ logged workouts and named the second Friday of January “Quitter’s Day,” the point when activity tends to drop. In 2027, that falls on Friday, January 8, because New Year’s Day itself is a Friday.
However, the picture is less gloomy than viral headlines suggest. For instance, Pew found that about a month into 2024, 87% of resolution-makers said they had kept at least some of their resolutions, and 59% said they had kept all of them. Similarly, 89% of YouGov’s 2026 resolvers said they were very or somewhat likely to keep theirs.
Watch out. You will often see claims that “80% of resolutions fail by February.” We could not trace that figure to a published study, so we do not use it. The peer-reviewed PLOS ONE study found a 55% one-year success rate instead.
To get past Quitter’s Day, plan for it. For example, put a small reward or a workout with a friend on your calendar for January 8, and lower the bar that week rather than skipping it.
New Year’s Resolutions 2027 Tracker: A Simple Template
A simple tracker turns your new year’s resolutions 2027 list into weekly check-ins. Copy this layout into a notebook, spreadsheet or notes app, and then review it every Sunday.
| Resolution | If-then plan | Weekly target | Check-in partner | Restart date if I slip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk more | If it is lunchtime on a weekday, then I walk 30 minutes | 5 walks (150 min) | Coworker | Next Monday |
| Save money | If payday arrives, then $50 moves to savings automatically | 1 transfer per paycheck | Partner | First of the month |
| Sleep better | If it is 10:30 p.m., then my phone goes on the kitchen charger | 7+ hours, 5 nights | Myself (sleep log) | Next Monday |
| Learn a skill | If it is Tuesday or Thursday at 8 p.m., then I study 30 minutes | 2 sessions | Online class group | Next week |
Meanwhile, if you want help with the money row, our guide to the psychology of money and why people fail to save explains the habits behind it.
Our verdict
The best new year’s resolutions are not the most ambitious ones. Instead, they are one to three positive, specific habits with a time and place attached. Pick from the health, money, career, relationship or growth lists above, write an if-then plan, tell one person and give it about two months. If you slip around Quitter’s Day on January 8, 2027, simply restart the next Monday.
Once your goals are set, send your people some cheer with our New Year wishes for 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common New Year’s resolutions?
The most common resolutions are exercising more, being happier, eating healthier, saving more money and improving physical health. In YouGov’s December 2025 poll of U.S. adults, exercising more led at 25%, followed by being happier at 23% and eating healthier at 22%. Saving more money and improving physical health tied at 21%.
What are some good New Year’s resolutions for 2027?
Good resolutions for 2027 are specific habits you can start small, such as walking 30 minutes on weekdays, auto-saving $50 every payday, keeping a fixed bedtime for seven or more hours of sleep, or calling one friend every week. Choose one to three, attach each to a time and place, and track them weekly.
When do most people give up on New Year’s resolutions?
Many people slip in the second week of January. Strava’s workout data pointed to the second Friday of January, nicknamed Quitter’s Day, as the point when activity tends to drop. In 2027 that is Friday, January 8. Still, Pew found 87% of resolution-makers had kept at least some resolutions about a month in.
How do you stick to New Year’s resolutions?
Frame each goal as something to start rather than stop, write an if-then plan for when and where you will act, and ask one person to check in occasionally. Research also suggests habits take about 66 days on average to feel automatic, and a single missed day has little impact, so restart the next Monday if you slip.
What percentage of people keep their New Year’s resolutions?
In a 2020 PLOS ONE study that followed 1,066 people, 55% considered themselves successful after one year. People with approach goals, such as starting a habit, succeeded 58.9% of the time versus 47.1% for avoidance goals. Separately, Pew found 59% had kept all their resolutions about one month into 2024.
What are realistic New Year’s resolutions for students?
Realistic resolutions for students include starting assignments the day they are set, using a planner for every deadline, studying in focused 25-minute blocks with the phone in another room, joining one club, and keeping a consistent bedtime. The CDC recommends eight to 10 hours of sleep a night for teens ages 13 to 17.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not medical, mental health or financial advice. Talk to a doctor before starting a new exercise or diet program, especially if you have a health condition, and consider a qualified financial professional for decisions about debt, savings or investing.
