Bloggers Post Their New Year's Resolutions

An article from Welch Media (via Worthwhile) cites a new study from Goalfree.com that says less Americans are making New Year's resolutions: "In a newly released survey of 1012 Americans, only 45% of Americans now say they write up New Years Resolutions down from 88% of Americans who did so in the past. The random telephone survey was conducted by Stephen Shapiro, president of Goalfree.com, with the assistance of Opinion Research Corp. of Princeton N.J."

The study found that most resolutions fell into these categories:

34% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their wallet

38% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their waistline

47% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their head i.e. a self-improvement type goal

31% say they will set a New Year's Resolution related to their heart -- i.e. a relationship or dating goal.

When bloggers post resolutions it is different than just writing it down on a piece paper. The resolutions are available to the public -- right there in plain sight for everyone to see. Bloggers can also review their resolutions from the previous year like Footsteps in the Mirror did in this post that includes a review of the resolutions from 2005 and new resolutions for 2006. Instapundit blogged his resolutions in 2005 but decided not to this year: "Given how badly last year's resolution ("to spend less time at the computer") turned out, it just seems pointless, you know?" Unfortunately, there is no study available to determine whether posting resolutions in public makes them more likely to happen.

Plenty of bloggers are posting resolutions for 2006. A technorati graphic shows resolution-related posts peaking at about 20,000 per day on New Year's Day.



A graph on BlogPulse.com also shows resolution posts soaring as the year changed to 2006. Here are some resolution highlights from the blogosphere.

David Sifry at Technorati advised bloggers to tag posts containing 2006 New Year's resolutions as 2006resolutions. Nearly 150 bloggers have tagged posts using the 2006resolutions tag.

Blog Business World has posted some blog resolutions. In addition to resolutions the post also includes tips, suggestions and blogging best practices. Here is one of resolutions: "Resolve to write at least one new blog post every day. It helps in the search engines, and keeps your readers returning day after day. If you are unable to write every day, at the very least choose alternate days for posting."

Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch blog has a list of resolutions for celebrities. Popwatch tells Rosie to fix the "caps button" on her keyboard. But it looks more like it is Rosie's shift key that is broken.

Last January, Amy at Dayorama resolved to stop using words like "Maybe" and "Possibly" -- a resolution with a high level of difficulty. This year Dayorama has an interesting post about their 2005 posting data. 2005 was a good year for Dayorama but it looks like OJ is really falling behind Ollie and Amy in the posting war. At the bottom of this post is a New Year's Resolution written by Ollie: "Posting to this weblog shouldn't be about volume and post counts, even though I personally think they're fun to do from time to time. It's about making it interesting for you lot to read. I've been trying to work on that recently and my personal resolution is to carry that on into 2006 and make it worth your while."

Knitknacks has set some goals which include a couple appealing resolutions like eating chocolate and reading fiction. Knitting, blogging and yoga are all on Knitknack's list as well.

Some of Slobstyle's resolutions include read more, diet, exercise, be positive and stop procrastinating. Slobstyle also plans to stop swearing: "I have found myself using obsenities over the last couple of years in a constant fashion, something I really need to stop doing. First of all, it's completely unnecessary. Second, I have kids and I don’t need to be letting random curses slip while they are around. The easiest way I see to prevent this from happening is to stop using "naughty" words all together!"

Combing With Scissors explains why resolutions can be easier to plan than do: "I'm really good at making them...pages of lists and detailed info on each one...right down to a calendar for the first quarter of the year, marking my goals and what I plan to accomplish when. and after all that work, *POOF* I think I get too into the planning, and forget to save any energy for the actual doing."

Guy Kawasaki blogs about resolution assistance from a Nobel prize winner.

One of Modfab's resolutions is to "read only the really good blogs."

Mom Writes resolves to attend BlogHer 2006.

Taquil plans to get organized: "But as we dive headlong into 2006, I have given myself one aim: to become better organised. This is not to say I'm unorganised, generally I'm not. But if I'm going to achieve some of the things I want to do this year, then I'm going to need a system which isn’t already creaking at the seams."

Lifehack.org has an advice post about how to make resolutions that you will keep: "Take whatever time you need time to work out what truly counts for you and link any resolutions to that. If your resolutions don't draw on your strongest values; don't spring from feelings and beliefs too important to ignore, they will quickly be swept away."

Starling Fitness also has some resolution advice including a tip to tell the freakn' world about your goals: "If you tell your sister and your mom and your dad and your girlfriend and that vindictive woman at your work about your resolutions, you’re more likely to succeed. Just knowing that the witch at the front desk is going to ask you about your progress can be enough sometimes."

Our Health News Blog looks at New Year's health and fitness resolutions.

Don't ask Startle Grams about resolutions: "This is that time of year when people are prone to ask: 'So, did you make any New Year's resolutions?' I wish they would just shut up. These people need to resolve to never ask anybody such a stupid question."

Two of Sophismata's resolutions include keeping the blog going in 2006 and staying single: "I want to stay single till I leave for Japan. No since in getting attached and making leaving muckier than it already will be."

Wanderings of a Student Librarian recommends a couple tools for people making lists: Remember the Milk and Ta-Da List.

Blogcritics has a post about the annual "get in shape" type of resolutions. The post introduces a concept called TLAOSW -- "The least amount of specific work."

Lifehacker links to an advice article from Yahoo Finance about ten things to stop doing in 2006. However, the list includes pretty obvious things like stop running up credit card balances.

Retro Thing has a resolution to be bolder in 2006. And in this post Retro Thing is bold enough to ask readers to nominate them to the 2006 Bloggies.

Tripso has some resolutions for the airline industry

For bloggers resolving to be more healthy in 2006, Slashfood recommends eating a healthy breakfast (whether you are hungry or not) and serves up a breakfast smoothie recipe care of EatingWell.

This is the eleventh and final entry in our Blogging the Holidays series for the 2005-2006 holidays.