New Year's resolution ideas you'll actually keep (and how to count them)

What resolutions do people in Britain make?

YouGov asks every December. For 2025, 27% of British adults said they planned to make resolutions, and the most common were saving more or spending less (21% of those making them) and getting fit or exercising more (17%).¹

For 2026, 19% planned to, with getting fit (23%) at the top.² Young adults are the most likely to make them: 37% of 18 to 24 year olds said they would for 2026.²

Do people keep them?

More often than you'd think. Of people who made resolutions for 2025, 38% said they kept all of them and 33% kept some.² For 2024 it was 33% all and 45% some.¹ So most people keep at least part of what they set out to do.

Ten ideas, each made countable

For each: the resolution, the small thing to count, a gentle starting target.

1. Read more: count books finished, or 10 minutes of reading. Starting target: 12 books (one a month), or reading on 3 days a week.
2. Move more: count walks, runs or swims, or kilometres. Starting target: 3 active days a week.
3. Sleep better: note your bedtime and how rested you feel (1 to 5). Starting target: in bed by a time you choose on 4 nights a week.
4. Spend less, save more: count spend-free days and what you put aside. Starting target: 4 spend-free days a month.
5. See people: count meet-ups and calls. Starting target: one a week.
6. Make things: count sessions of drawing, music, writing or making. Starting target: 2 a week.
7. Drink less: count alcohol-free days. Starting target: pick a number of days a week that feels doable.
8. Learn something: count practice sessions or minutes. Starting target: 10 minutes on 4 days a week.
9. Get outside: count days with time outdoors, or places you visit. Starting target: 5 days a week.
10. Look after yourself: count some downtime, and how the day felt (1 to 5). Starting target: one thing for you, most days.

How to choose

• Pick one to three. Fewer goals are easier to keep track of.
• Make it small enough to do on a bad day. You can always do more.
• Count days, not perfection. "Read on 3 days a week" survives a busy week better than "read every day".
• It's fine to start late. Researchers have found people are more likely to start goals at fresh starts: a new year, but also a new month, a Monday or a birthday.³