Lawrence Agbo

It is now common practice that every New Year, millions of people make resolutions, whether to lose weight or get fit, save money or reduce debt, quit smoking or drinking, with the hope of becoming better versions of themselves. But the reality is that most people will abandon their New Year’s resolutions within just a few months. This has become so common that the second Friday in January is now known as “Quitter’s Day.”

Here’s a look at the five most common New Year’s resolutions that fail.

1. Quitting Bad Habits (Smoking, Drinking, Procrastination)

Stopping a bad habit is one of the most difficult resolutions to keep. Bad habits like Smoking and Drinking especially while you still have friends or colleagues who do it socially around you. Most times, people rely on willpower to stop these bad habits but the environment they find themselves in and the lack of a solid plan, support or help from professionals can make them fall back into this habit even without knowing it.

2. Losing Weight or Getting Fit

Gyms usually experience an increase in attendance around the beginning of January. This is because losing weight or getting fit is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Gyms are packed in January, but attendance usually dwindles by March. This is due to a lack of motivation to continue even when the expected results are not showing as fast as expected or a busy lifestyle and long working hours leave no room for free time.

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3. Save More Money or Reduce Debt

This is another New Year resolution that fails within the first week of January. January is often considered the longest month of the year because too many financial obligations and celebrations during the twin festivals (Christmas and New Year) would have eaten deep into the pocket and sometimes result in borrowing if one is not frugal.

Also, some property owners increase the rent of their property at the beginning of the year. Family obligations, health issues and lack of financial discipline may influence the New Year resolution of saving more money and staying out of debt.

4. Start a Business or Side Hustle

The resolution to start a business can easily be forgotten if one has limited access to capital. Also, economic instability in Nigeria can affect the profit of the new business or side hustle. Therefore, it is important to seek mentorship or do thorough research on the side hustle or business before you add it to your New Year plan.

5. Spend More Time with Family/Work-Life Balance

While it is important to spend quality time with the family and create a healthy work-life balance, financial pressures require long working hours and sometimes you spend long hours in traffic, especially in cities like Lagos or Abuja.