Many of us make large commitments several times throughout the year, vows to break the bad habits that we have accumulated in order to become healthier and more successful in the game of life. Unfortunately, many of these vows are broken several days or weeks after they are made, or in other cases, they are put off until tomorrow, next week, or the beginning of next month. One of the most popular traditions involved with the celebration of the New Year is the making of New Year’s resolutions. Similar to the solemn vows we make during the year, New Year’s resolutions are made so that we can start the year off right, putting the bad habits of last year away for good. While it us up to you whether or not New Year’s Resolutions are more special or more successful than resolutions made at any other point of the year, we nevertheless make these New Year’s resolutions in hopes that we will finally be able to turn over a new leaf. Here are some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions.

One of the most widespread problem’s in today’s society for many people involves weight. While many people struggle with being underweight, the majority of weight problems exist in people who are overweight. Whether the problem can be attributed to genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, pregnancy, or any of a plethora of factors, being overweight is a major source of stress for many Americans, as well as many people around the world. In the cases where the weight gain is caused by a sedentary lifestyle, overeating, or only eating unhealthy foods, it is often hard to break these habits. Throughout the year, we embark on ambitious diets, plan rigorous exercise routines, and attempt to avoid any temptation foods in order to shed the pounds, but committing to this sort of weight loss requires more willpower than the amount that many people are able to summon. For that reason, vowing to lose weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions.

If weight loss is your primary New Year’s resolution, the best thing you can do is to set realistic goals. One of the problems with resolving to lose weight comes in when one sets lofty goals. Not reaching these goals is very easy to do for one who is unused to shedding large amounts of weight, and not reaching one’s expectations can set oneself up for disappointment and the will to give up the whole plan. Instead, start slowly, incorporating healthier eating habits and exercise into your daily routine, resolving to lose however much weight you feel comfortable with over a large period of time. That way, if you do not reach your milestones, you can slowly ramp up the level of physical activity and dieting in order to achieve the weight loss you desire.

Another popular New Year’s resolution involves quitting smoking. One out of six people use tobacco products, which amounts to about one billion smokers in the world today, a number that seems to be on the rise. Staggeringly, half of all long-term smokers will die a tobacco-related death, and one billion tobacco-related deaths are expected to occur this century. Smoking is not only extremely unhealthy for the smoker: secondhand smoke contains more than 50 carcinogens, cancer-causing agents that can end up causing life-ending complications for those who live with or come in regular contact with smokers. Compounded with the health risks of smoking is the fact that being addicted to tobacco products involves money, time, and inconvenience. For these reasons, quitting smoking is another very popular New Year’s resolution. It is a proven fact that quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term health benefits, extending the average lifespan for over ten years in most adults and greatly increasing general health, considering that smoking is harmful to almost every major organ in the body. Quitting smoking also saves a considerable amount of money, given that a pack-a-day smoker spends about $75.00 a month on cigarettes, and almost $1,000 a year.

Speaking of saving money, one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions involves doing just that. As the economy continues in its weakened state, most people have found themselves with less spending money than before, but there are plenty of ways to save money that will help alleviate the woes of the economy. For example, managing the amount of energy that your house uses, such as while heating and cooling, can end up saving the average family hundreds of dollars per year. Shopping at lower-priced grocery stores, taking advantage of sales, and clipping coupons can also add up to considerable levels of savings. Purchasing generic, over-the-counter equivalents to your prescription medication can loosen up some money in the budget, as can shopping around at different pharmacies because different pharmacies can charge vastly different prices for the exact same medication. Here is a great list of ways to save money, including these tips and many more that can greatly increase the amount of spending money that you have.

Life today can be extremely hectic, leading to a level of stress that becomes increasingly difficult to bear as the days pass. Problems at work or at home can compound themselves over and over again, leading to a situation that can eventually cause serious health conditions. While stress can be helpful, encouraging people to perform at their maximum level of capability in some situations, extreme levels of stress can cause depression, weight gain, heart disease, and a slew of other negative health effects. For that reason, reducing the level of stress in one’s life is an admirable and popular New Year’s resolution. There are many ways to reduce stress: taking up a hobby can greatly reduce the level of stress in your life, as can taking time out for a walk, planting a garden, reducing caffeine intake, and more. Meditation is an increasingly popular way to reduce stress, allowing one to take time out of his or her day to just relax and will away the stress. Another popular stress reduction method is journaling, allowing one to put his or her thoughts and worries down on to paper in order to make them more manageable.

Getting a better job, getting fit, controlling one’s consumption of alcohol, and committing to help others are all popular New Year’s Resolutions as well. While these New Year’s resolutions can certainly give you ideas, pick a New Year’s resolution that you think you can stick to and then really devote some time to seeing through it. Whether you resolve to quit smoking or resolve to loosen your budget, New Year’s resolutions are a great way to start the New Year off an a better foot than you were standing on the year before. Share your New Year’s resolution with your family and friends so that you are more compelled to stick with it. Hang signs up all around your home that prominently display your New Year’s resolution to guilt yourself into following through. Above all, set realistic goals and do not cause yourself more trouble trying to stick to your New Year’s resolution than you had before you made it!