Research project Nystart 2024 – New Year's Resolutions and Strategies for Goal-Attainment

When people want to change something in their lives, they often start at a temporal milestone, such as the beginning of a new semester, on a birthday, or at the start of a new year. Nearly one-fifth of Swedes make a New Year's resolution any given year, typically with hopes of achieving positive behavior change. Previous research at the department has shown that New Year's resolutions can be an effective way to succeed with behavior change, especially with resolutions formulated effectively.

In Nystart 2024 (Fresh Start 2024), participants randomly receive various instructions on how to formulate their New Year's resolutions. The aim is to investigate whether these instructions can increase the likelihood of a person keeping their resolution. All research participants receive follow-up throughout the year and are asked to report on the progress of their resolutions. Participants also answer additional questions, including their tendency to procrastinate and their ability to handle various problems in daily life.

Nystart 2024 builds on previous research on New Year's resolutions and deepens our understanding of the common resolutions, how many people keep them, and whether the likelihood of success can be increased.

Learn more about the project at nystart2024.se.