Improving Physical Health, Saving Money Top New Year’s Resolutions

Improving physical health and saving money top the list of New Year’s resolutions for Americans, a YouGov survey released this week found.

The survey asked, “Will you make any type of New Year’s resolution or set a goal for 2023?” It found 37 percent confessing their intention to set goals for 2023. A plurality, 46 percent, said “no,” followed by 17 percent who are not sure. 

Both improving physical health and saving more money topped the list of goals for those who said they are setting them. Twenty percent identified both as their goal. 

Exercising more came in third place, with 19 percent choosing that goal. Eighteen percent said their goal is eating healthier, followed by being happy (17 percent), losing weight (17 percent), paying down debts (13 percent), learning something new (12 percent), improving mental health (12 percent), spending more time with family (12 percent), improving relationships with friends or family (11 percent), reading more (11 percent), and focusing on spiritual matters (11 percent). 

According to the survey, “Women are slightly more likely than men to say that in 2023 they resolve to eat healthier (23% vs. 13%), lose weight (21% vs. 12%), or travel (14% vs. 7%).”

Most are confident that they will be able to keep their goals. Eighty-seven percent said it is at least somewhat likely, but of those, 41 percent said it is “very” likely they will keep their goals.

The survey was taken December 16-21, 2022, among 1,000 respondents and it has a +/- 3.4 percent margin of error.