The ball has dropped and the polls are in. It’s time to take a look at the ten most common New Year’s Resolutions for 2015. This tradition of self-improvement to begin a new year started with the ancient Babylonians. Every year they would pledge to their gods that they would return anything borrowed and pay all of their debts. While both of these things are still applicable to life today, only one made the current list.
- Get more sleep. A recent Gallup poll found that 40% of Americans do not get enough sleep. This can affect everything from a person’s happiness to their work performance. Fortunately, Americans seem to be waking up to the fact that sleep is crucial. This New Year’s resolution has steadily risen in popularity over the last decade.
- Volunteer to help others. Maybe it is the holiday spirit, but everyone seems to be in a giving mood around this time of year. In fact, many soup kitchens and homeless shelters experience a small boom in volunteers during and after the holidays.
- Travel the world. Now that the baby boomers are reaching retirement, travel has been bumped up into the top ten most popular resolutions, and with an average age of 47.5, leisure travelers are only getting older. You are never too old to experience something new.
- Floss! This might be the easiest and most important resolution anybody can put on their list. Polls vary, but about 28% of Americans report that they floss daily. Unfortunately for Americans, this cannot be true based on the amount of floss sold every year. It is something everyone knows they should do, but it is a tough habit to get into.
- Save more money or improve your finances. This one is pretty close the ancient Babylonian’s goal of paying off their debts and it goes to show that money is still central in everyone’s lives. There is no time like present buying time to make you realize just how broke you are.
- Go green. This is a relatively new addition to the list, and can mean anything from getting a reusable Keurig cup for coffee maker to switching over to electronic billing. The big jump this resolution made is probably due the Pope’s environmental report in which he asked everyone to make changes.
- Eat healthier. Mrs. Obama would be happy to see that this one made the top half of the list. With one in four people eating fast food every day, it is an area where big gains could be made with small improvements.
- Accomplish a goal. This is a catch-all category. People love picking a semi-random activity such as learning how to tight rope walk or picking up a new language.
- Quit smoking or drink less. Like not flossing, this goal is one that people realize is a bad but have a hard time kicking the habit. Fortunately, smoking numbers in the U.S.A. are trending downwards, so history shows that with healthy dose of gumption you can stop smoking.
- Hit the gym. This is the stereotypical pick. Gyms have even started marketing to these New Year’s new comers, offering special deals to anyone willing to take the plunge. No matter what your resolutions look like in 2015, remember to have fun with it, and if you can’t get it done in 2015, there is always 2016.
Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.