The New Year has arrived which means millions of Americans are making resolutions in hopes of improving their lives. Are you one of them?

About 45% of us make a New Year’s resolution, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology at the University of Scranton. Not surprisingly, many of the resolutions focus on improving our health and our financial bottom line.

Below you will see the top 10 resolutions from 2014 and there is no reason to believe that 2015’s batch of resolutions will be much different. You’ll notice that only the third most popular resolution directly focuses on improving an individual’s financial bottom line.

1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less, save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Stay fit and healthy
6. Learn something exciting
7. Quit smoking
8. Help others in their dream
9. Fall in love
10. Spend more time with family

According to figures compiled by BrainStatistic, a very popular website that maintains statistics in such areas as finance, education, crime, entertainment and business, the most common New Year’s goals involve self improvement or education (47%), followed by losing weight (38%), money-related resolutions (34%) and relationship-related resolutions (31%).

The Scranton study suggests that Americans in their twenties are more likely to achieve their resolutions (39%) than adults who are over 50 (14%). That makes sense if you think about it because young people are just starting out with their lives and will consequently have more goals as they try to establish themselves in the world.

Sticking With Your Resolutions

Whatever your resolutions, how do you stick to them? Here are a few tips:

Set realistic goals. If the goals are too tough, you are more likely to quit. Another strategy is to break them into smaller, more attainable short-term goals.

Involve someone else. If you are married, get your spouse involved. If not, share your progress and/or failures with a friend, who can hold you accountable.

Check your progress. You may be more likely to stay motivated if you periodically review how well you are doing.

Learn More…

opens in a new windowTry Saving One Percent More

opens in a new windowDon’t Be Fooled By the Calendar

opens in a new windowHow Your Money Can Buy Happiness