It’s that time of year again–the media is abuzz with inspiration for 2015 and support to help folks stick with their resolutions. Turns out, change is not so easy. According to a variety of different reports, roughly half the people in the United States make resolutions to kick start a new year. However, studies have shown that few of us actually stick with the program. In a study published by John C. Norcross of the University of Scranton, 77% of Americans keep their commitments for the first week of the year. Only 46% of folks reported continued dedication past the 6-month mark, and a measly 8% actually reported success in achieving their resolution.
Yikes!
So what kind of people are making resolutions? People Pattern took a quick survey of the digital landscape to get a better idea of who those most optimistic among us.
The first few days of the New Year, we ran a keyword search through the People Pattern platform, searching for all those who mentioned “New Year’s Resolutions” online. Turns out, if you live in LA, New York, Chicago or Boston, you’re more likely than not shooting for the stars at a higher rate than folks in other parts of the country.
From the thousands of unique individual portraits that we constructed based on the search, the Grab and Go persona most commonly mentions–and presumably makes–a resolution. Whether or not he or she keeps it up past the first week, the verdict is still out.
Within the New Year’s Resolution audience, the Grab and Go customer is typically white, female, and between the ages of 25 and 34. She lives in major cities around the country, is employed but typically spends quite a bit of time using social media and swapping pics on Instagram. Her top words include “goal”, “swag”, “beautiful” and “love”–she is effusive and passionate. The Grab and Go Resolutionist is interested in crafting, sourcing many of her ideas and recipes from Pinterest. When she’s not working, she’s participating in boot camps and indoor fitness classes, but maybe not re-enrolling after the classes end. The Grab and Go resolution-maker has high hopes for a better 2015, but because she tends to over schedule herself she may be looking to find a way to commit fully to one thing.
But let’s not judge. By this point, a quarter of us have already dropped off the wagon. We can only wish the best for our friends keen on sticking with it. Here’s to finding ourselves with the better half next year.
Isn’t that what resolutions are for?
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