Do you make a New Year’s resolution every year? About half of all Americans do, research shows, and the most common resolutions include losing weight, working out more, and eating healthier.
Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images(NEW YORK) For a New Year's resolution that lasts, start now, start simple and be specific. Almost half of all Americans make a New Year's resolution each year, research shows. Most commonly, people aspire to lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking or eat healthier. Many will abandon their resolution by a month or less into the new year. One barrier is that forming a habit takes time about 66 days, on average, at least one study suggests. "It takes about two to three months for someone to start feeling confident and comfortable with a new habit, but the repetition of the habit can start to become more of a routine after several days" Dr. Beth Frates, president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, told ABC News. When deciding on a resolution, Frates recommends considering the six pillars of health: nutritious diet, physical activity, restorative sleep, elimination of substances (e.g. cigarettes), positive relationship