New Year, Old Habits: Residents of This Michigan City Likely Broke New Years Resolutions Already

Keeping a New Year's resolution is really hard. Think of the things you do every single day without fail throughout the year. You probably don't even have to think about it. Deciding to completely change an aspect of your everyday life at the beginning of the calendar isn't easy.

In fact, according to this Ohio State study, only 9% of people who make a New Year's Resolution keep it, while 23% give up after a week and 43% quit before January is done.

Odds are, residents of one Michigan city have already given up on their resolutions for 2024.

According to WalletHub, Detroit is one of the worst cities in the country for people looking to keep a New Year's resolution, ranked No. 172 out of 182 eligible cities across the United States.

This is in large part because so many in Detroit are already engulfed in habits that are harder to break than others, whether it be drinking, smoking or drugs. Only nine other cities were considered to have worse habits. Couple this with Detroit's poor economic status where pay, unemployment and credit scores are among the worst of the 182 cities analyzed and residents simply don't have the tools and resources to see their resolutions to completion.

It's not all bad in Michigan, though. Grand Rapids is towards the top as a city where it's a bit easier to have a successful resolution. While many of Grand Rapids' health-related resolutions may be harder to obtain, the city doesn't have nearly as many folks trying to overcome the difficult habits that Detroiters are.

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The aforementioned study from Ohio State University suggests being a bit more reasonable with your resolutions. It's okay for your resolutions to be challenging, but should be approached in smaller chunks so that they are more manageable. It's also suggested to create a plan to avoid and overcome obstacles as they come. Having a source of accountability is also a must.

Or take my route and avoid resolutions altogether. Just live the way you want to and be happy in the New Year.

The full study from WalletHub can be seen here.