A New England State is #1 for Sticking to New Year's Resolutions

Let's face it. It's hard to make a goal and stick to it. Come the new year, we all want to better ourselves and make the new year more productive than the last. But change is hard and sometimes we find excuses to justify why we aren't achieving our goals.

How long does it take to form a habit?

According to an article by the Scientific American, It generally takes about 21 days to form a habit. This more of a guideline and not an exact science. Of course there are varying factors like the person trying to set the habit and how complex the habit is that they are trying to make. Teaching yourself a completely new skill (like how to speak Dutch) is more difficult and complex than trying to drink more water (something you already do).

I made a resolution that I am not going to allow myself to scroll on my phone before bed anymore. The problem is I have found a loophole. The resolution was not to scroll in bed, but standing next to my bed and scrolling wasn't specified as off limits, so I've been doing that. It's totally pathetic, I know. I guess you could say I am not exactly sticking to my New Year's Resolution. But apparently, I am not bringing down New Hampshire as a whole.

States that stick to their New Year's Resolutions

A publication called the Action Network surveyed 2,000 American adults and asked them how motivated they typically feel on the third Monday of January (Also known as 'Blue Monday'). Their responses were ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the most motivated and 10 the least.

New Hampshire took the crown as the most motivated state! So, while other Americans are letting those New Year's Resolutions slip away, we Granite Staters are still crushing our goals. Well, some of us.

Delaware was the #2 most motivated state and Washington D.C. ranked #3 for their January motivation.

Why do you think New Hampshire folks are more motivated than other states? My theory is that in January we don't have nice weather or other distractions keeping us from achieving our goals. It's -4 outside so it's time to hunker down and focus! Sure, I'll go to the gym 5 nights a week. What else am I doing?

Have you been sticking to your New Year's resolutions thus far?