Top 10 New Years Resolutions Everybody Breaks

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions Everybody Breaks

The start of a new year means the chance to wipe the slate clean when it comes to bad lifestyle choices; the trick is keeping up with your new habits… Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions Everybody Breaks.

For this list, we’re looking at practical resolutions that people struggle with after making lofty New Year’s proclamations.

#10: Keep Positive Attitude / Be More Optimistic About Life

The bright lights and big smiles of the holiday season leave you with the kind of lovely contentedness you’d love to keep going year-round. You’ve got new threads; you’ve re-connected with your friends, and life feels good. But then comes January, and the problems of real life come roaring back with a vengeance. Pretty soon, those daily affirmations take a backseat, and bad vibes start to permeate your day-to-day routine. For some, the resolution fail happens because that first bit of New Year’s stress can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to lose sight of what makes life so beautiful. You want to be positive, but you’re full of negativity and moan about the smallest of things. Siiiiigh.

#9: Stop Procrastinating, Be More Productive

Fantastic as they may be, the holidays can be overwhelming. Sure, you’ve got some gift-money in your pocket and a pretty flexible schedule. But you’re not sure how to spend your extra cash, or how to properly capitalize on those positive holiday vibes. Plus, who wants to plan every minute of their life immediately after New Year’s? You gotta ease back into things. So, what happens when you start to slip? You find comfort in uplifting hashtags on social media, or you listen to motivational Adele songs, hoping that change will come naturally without actually working for it. And then, anxiety takes over and your idea of productivity digresses until you’re proud of a successful weekend Netflix binge.

#8: Learn Something New

Maybe it was after one too many glasses of eggnog, but you decided that THIS is gonna be the year you pick up a new language, take up watercolor, or get into tap-dancing. And at first, the idea of throwing yourself headfirst into a new hobby is exciting! You create a special area in your home expressly for learning. Buuuuuut then you start to see how much time, effort and dedication it takes… And – worse yet – you’re not really enjoying the process. Before long, that special area becomes a junk room. And then the holidays roll around again and people ask how your piano lessons went… And all you can say is that you were busy. Maybe next year…

#7: Travel to New Places

During that exciting week between Christmas and New Year’s, you’ll plan a fabulous vay-cay with your girls. But what none of you will admit – at least not until February – is that this trip is never gonna happen. Thanks to the internet, travel shows and exotic restaurants, it’s just too easy to satisfy your wanderlust from home. Yeah, we know there’s a difference between watching someone travel and actually traveling yourself. But, do you know how EXPENSIVE plane tickets are? Also, who can get that much time off work? Plus, it’s so hard to coordinate with all your friends! The spontaneity you felt in January is quickly killed by real life, as is any hope for succeeding with this resolution.

#6: Drink Less

We know: you don’t drink A LOT; you just wanna relax after work. But then you keep reading these articles about how much money you’d save or how much weight you’d lose if you quit drinking, and you’re too intrigued NOT to try. In all honesty, there’s nothing wrong with a little red vino here and there, or even a couple of your favorite craft beers. It just tastes so good, and someone always wants to catch up over a drink. Quitting drinking is a resolution that seems reasonable, but booze is just such a huge part of socializing for so many people. And so, you’re sipping some Pinot, telling yourself that tomorrow will be different.

#5: Get Off Your Phone

So, you think you’re ready to end your codependent relationship with your smartphone, do ya? Good idea: social media addiction is a very real thing, the bright screen is affecting your sleep patterns and you’re getting carpal tunnel from playing Candy Crush all the time – yes, still. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to keep up with this resolution for at least a couple of days – especially if you happen to be on vacation with little-to-no online access. But then, you start to miss Anna Kendrick’s Twitter musings or you’re interested in what Taylor Swift’s squad is baking this week or you’re dying to see if there’s anyone new on Tinder, and your addiction comes back full force.

#4: Get Out of Debt & Save Money

Theoretically, this resolution is both wise and achievable. Planning for your future is key, no matter what stage of life you’re at, whether you’re a student, a young professional or planning for retirement. Money management is a valuable tool, but it does take commitment and planning to get where you wanna be. You might need charts and spreadsheets, you may need to clip coupons or scan flyers, and you’ll almost definitely need to make some tough decisions. And sometimes, life just doesn’t cooperate and pretty soon the financial stress can feel insurmountable. Here’s a bit of advice: start small, put away a bit each month, and pretty soon it’ll pay dividends – you can handle it!

#3: Quit Smoking

Like many resolutions, the goal here is to lead a healthier lifestyle. Maybe your family keeps nagging you, maybe you can’t make it up the stairs, or maybe you’ve seen too many of those gross PSAs, but you’re starting to see the value in kicking the habit. January 1stis the first day of the rest of your smoke-free life. Unfortunately, that mid-January lull is rough – you know, you’ve gotten all your holiday bills in, the weather sucks and Christmas seems like a distant memory – and suddenly your old friend the cigarette seems like the only thing that can boost your spirits. Hey, we know quitting smoking is hard; just don’t go cold turkey and you may have a chance!

#2: Eat Healthier

We’ve all met them: healthy people who babble on about their clean lifestyle. Okay, binging on green juice doesn’t make them bad people, but they might inspire you to rebel in the kitchen. And by that we mean you inhale everything they despise. However, they might also remind you that poor eating habits are no joke, and a few changes might be smart. Of course, we’ll be the first to admit that a healthy snack like kale isn’t that appetizing compared to your favorite pizza. And that’s where the “eat healthier” resolution falls apart. Sure, it makes for a couple weeks-worth of motivational Instagram posts, but then you trade the celery for a bowl of ice cream, and that’s that.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Spend More Time with Family
- Eliminate Clutter from Living Space
- Refuse to Make New Year’s Resolutions Ever Again

#1: Lose Weight

With all the face stuffing that goes on over the holidays, your waistband’s bound to expand by year’s end. That, plus the obvious health implications, would make anyone rethink their lifestyle. Of course, everyone knows that losing weight requires serious commitment – especially if you’re not used to being active. But then, you realize how long it actually takes on the treadmill to burn off your questionable dietary choices. And soon, day-to-day responsibilities get in the way, making the idea of losing weight overwhelming. However, we’re here to tell you that you CAN stay (mostly) healthy while munching on your favorite foods, you DO have time to lose weight and you DON’T have to stress yourself out. We believe in you!

Do you agree with our list? Which New Year’s Resolution do you struggle with? For more holiday Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.