Flossing, saving money and eating more donuts: new year resolutions that actually stuck

For some, new year resolutions are an opportunity to grow. For others, they’re a pointless exercise in self-flagellation.

That might be because they’re hard to keep up. In the US, 44% of new year resolutions last two to three months; only 6% last a year. In the UK, 17% of people give up on their resolution within a month.

What separates a good new year resolution from a bad one? We asked Guardian readers to share resolutions that have actually stuck. Their answers were varied, but pretty much everyone agreed on one thing: for a resolution to stick, it has to be something you actually care about. So do you really want to learn French? Or would it feel more meaningful to cut back on plastic use, or see your friends more?

Only you know the answer. Here are some successful resolutions that might inspire you – personally, I’m interested in the one about eating more donuts.

Fitness resolutions – or non-resolutions

I canceled my barely used gym membership. I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to go. Yet I didn’t cancel it because I was secretly ashamed of not liking it. I have kept this resolution for 35 years.
James, 70, Washington

I’ve walked 6,000 steps every day of 2024. Home working, particularly in the winter, led me not to leave the house on some days, hence the need to set an achievable target to help with physical and mental wellbeing. It’s working. 6,500 daily step target set for 2025.
Simon, 54, Sheffield

‘I’ve walked 6,000 steps every day of 2024.’ Photograph: Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images

My resolution was not to weigh myself for a year. It sounds minor, but for someone who is so focused on body weight, it was a scary and daunting challenge. The scales can dictate your mood, your day, your sense of success or failure as a person. I was totally fed up with the power of the scales and wanted to try to break this cycle. The resolution worked because I didn’t give in to the fear. And I knew that my life would be better if I could meet this challenge. So far, I’ve made it!
Liz, 65, London

Food and cooking resolutions

I resolved to wear an apron when cooking. I had been cooking without an apron my whole life, and I had stained my clothes too many times.
Julia, 64, Iowa

This year we resolved to drink good coffee – not instant. Life is short! We prefer proper coffee but used to only make it at the weekends, which seemed silly given that instant coffee is actually quite expensive these days. We have stuck to it all year, even though we hate washing out the cafetiere!
Eleanor, 39, Northants

Every year, I resolve to learn a new cooking technique. Now my repertoire includes Thai curry and fried rice as well as bread and jam. I am still working on the perfect pie crust.
Baldwin, retired, Oregon

Nine years ago, I wanted to do something fun, liberating, attainable and successful. So I resolved to eat more donuts.
Jennifer, 53, California

I spent a year at a Quaker retreat and study center, and wanted to savor more of life’s good things instead of wolfing them down. I started by eating one square of chocolate, slowly, after a meal. It gave me more joy than eating a whole bar of chocolate. So I resolved to “eat more chocolate”. I eat less and I enjoy it more.
Rachel, retired, United States

My husband and I gave up sugar in coffee 10 years ago. It remains the only resolution I’ve ever kept!
Bernadette, 43, Manchester

Creative resolutions

A few years ago, I made the resolution to broaden my music tastes by listening to artists outside my usual comfort zone and going to random concerts with my friends. I enjoyed my musical experience so much that year, that I rolled the resolution on and now it’s just a continual part of my life – exploring new music.
Samuel, 26, New York

In 2017, I made a resolution to read every night before bed. I’ve kept it ever since. I felt I wasn’t reading enough, and had been an avid reader when I was younger. I also thought it would help me wind down before I went to sleep, as I’m not a good sleeper. I was right! I really look forward to the last part of the day, and I love reading now.
Anonymous

‘I wasn’t really familiar with symphonic music, and listening to the same piece every day can really open it up.’ Photograph: Nikola Stojadinovic/Getty Images

I committed to listening to the same symphony every day for a week and then moving on to a new one. I wasn’t really familiar with symphonic music, and listening to the same piece every day can really open it up. A good friend found out what I was doing and joined in. I have just had my last daily listen to Hans Huber’s Symphony No 8. Highlights have included Jimmy López Bellido’s No 2 and Anthony Ritchie’s No 6.
Graeme, 53, Shetland

Plan a social event in every calendar month of the year. I did this to have fun and so I’d be included in other people’s activities, and it worked.
Gerry, 63, Stoke-on-Trent

My resolution five years ago was to stop bonding with people over gossip or mutual dislike. I had noticed that I often created quick bonds with new friends over a shared viewpoint of someone, and I was finding it toxic. I wanted to change the way I relate to people, to move away from my natural inclination and to actively try to see the good in people. I also think it has helped me be kinder to myself.
Liv, 30, London

Seven years ago, I resolved to go to the pub every Friday with my neighbors. We go at 6, home by 8. A civilized start to the weekend.
Anonymous

About 10 years ago, I made a new year resolution to say “yes” to other people’s suggestions of, and invitations to, cultural things – a concert, a dance event, a play, a visit, even if it seemed “off the wall” or “not exactly to my taste”. I realized that raising children had put me in a long-lasting rut. My life and interests had narrowed. It was “children in bed, washing up done, collapse”. So I said yes, and I’ve seen and experienced a lot of things. I don’t go out constantly, just more than I used to.
Alison, 58, Sussex

Living on the other side of the world from your family can make it hard to find time to connect. One year, my sister and I decided to do a joint new year resolution that would bring us closer – to share one photo to represent what we did that day, every day for a year. I went from not being able to find time for conversation to getting a snapshot of her day. It was so special, and we have continued to do it to this day.
Maria, 37, Auckland

Family results

This year, I made a conscious effort to send a birthday card to everyone in my family – parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, 15 people in total. My family and I aren’t great at sending cards for birthdays. It’s seen as something you only get as a child. So, many of us get little or no acknowledgement of our birthdays once we reach adulthood.
Adam, Ireland

Life-hack resolutions

The only [new year resolution] I’ve managed to incorporate into my daily life is to floss every night. I got tired of my dental hygienist nagging me.
Allison, 68, Washington

‘I got tired of my dental hygienist nagging me.’ Photograph: Nico De Pasquale Photography/Getty Images

About 10 years ago, I pared back to a single resolution: be more awesome. It’s helped me improve my health, learn new languages and travel the world. There’s no pressure, no set definition, just the goal to live a fuller and more interesting life with every passing year.
Ella, 42, London

A very small thing: three years ago, my new year resolution was to start reversing into the garage at my home. Dad had been imploring me for decades to park with the engine outwards, so that it’s easier to deal with if it breaks down. To my total shock, surprise and amazement, it has become second nature. I even reverse into parking spaces now – mostly.
Sue, 64, Sussex

I was notoriously always late. Then, about 20 years ago, I waited half an hour for a friend who lived 100 metres from the pub where we were supposed to meet. She finally arrived without any explanation or apology. Only then, after getting more and more annoyed while I waited for her, did I realize how it feels to be the one who’s waiting. I decided to stop being late and since then, I have always been on time.
Anonymous

For the past three years, I have saved money every month. I’m preparing for my retirement in 16 years. Before, my salary was being frittered away on clothes, holidays, food and furnishing. I set up an interest-paying account and decided I was going to stick with this resolution regardless of the ramifications – I knew I would have to go without new clothes and a new car. I now have a substantial nest egg.
Anonymous

I’ve resolved to go outside when it’s sunny. It may just be for a few minutes. It doesn’t sound like much, but it feels great.
Jane, Pacific north-west

Environmentally responsible resolutions

I decided I wasn’t comfortable with eating meat and was going to stop. I didn’t think about it as a new year resolution, but it seemed natural to start on New Year’s Day. That was 18 years ago, and I’ve never eaten meat since.
Simon, 37, Ashton-under-Lyne

Five years ago, I resolved to buy no more clothes or shoes other than replacements for something worn out. I make my own clothes, and provided the fabric is from a sustainable source, this is “allowed” as long as the garment is really needed. On the whole now, my clothes are good quality, well-made, and they last. Cheap, throwaway clothing is ruining the environment. We should use and keep what we have.
Fiona, retired, North Wales

Every year, I resolve to reduce my plastic footprint by buying unpackaged articles, glass where possible and only natural fiber clothing. It is getting much more difficult to find non-spandex or microfiber clothing, but I persist. This year’s resolution will be the same, with renewed resolve and effort.
Helga, retired, Nova Scotia

Three years ago, I resolved not to buy plastic wrap [cling film] or plastic storage bags as a small way to lessen the environmental damage I cause. Keeping this resolution has made me get creative when delivering plates of Christmas cookies and wrapping sandwiches. It has also made me try to make other environmentally responsible resolutions.
Catherine, 66, New York