Top 20 New Year Resolutions for 2026

Happy New Year 2026! May all your dreams come true.

"When you have a dream that you can't let go of, trust your instincts and pursue it. But remember: Real dreams take work, They take patience, and sometimes they require you to dig down very deep. Be sure you're willing to do that." -- Harvey Mackay

As with me, you might wanna get a feel of what are the top 20 New Year resolutions for this year.

For your refreshing, the following list and image have been generated using ChatGPT.

Here’s a 2026-focused list of the top 20 most popular New Year’s resolutions, based on multiple recent public polls, surveys and trend data (especially from YouGov, Ipsos and other global surveys). The ordering reflects general popularity and frequency among adults making resolutions, with health, wellbeing, money and lifestyle goals leading the way.

🥇 Top 20 Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions for 2026 (Descending Order)

1. Exercise more – #1 most common goal in recent surveys. YouGov

2. Be happy / increase happiness – psychological wellbeing features highly. YouGov

3. Eat healthier – nutrition and diet improvements continue to be a priority. YouGov

4. Save more money – financial preparedness remains a top resolution. YouGov

5. Improve physical health (overall) – closely linked with fitness & diet. YouGov

6. Lose weight – specific subset of health/fitness goals. 100.3 WHEB

7. Improve mental health – awareness of mental wellbeing rises. 100.3 WHEB

8. Learn something new / education goals – self-improvement trend. 100.3 WHEB

9. Spend more time with family and friends – social/life balance focus. 100.3 WHEB

10. Pray / deepen spiritual life – faith and reflection goals are significant. 100.3 WHEB

11. Sleep more / better rest – life-balance & wellness trend (esp. Australia). finder.com.au

12. Work-life balance / work less stress – quality of life priority. finder.com.au

13. Travel more – desire for experiences and vacations. finder.com.au

14. Be more sustainable / eco-friendly – environmental goals rising. finder.com.au

15. Quit smoking / drinking / reduce vices – health behavior change. Macao News

16. Spend less / reduce expenses – financial discipline goal. Ipsos

17. Pay off debt / improve credit – deeper financial empowerment. Ipsos

18. Start a side hustle / increase income – earnings and career shift. Ipsos

19. Start meditating / mindfulness practice – mental clarity focus. finder.com.au

20. Volunteer / give back to community – altruistic and social goals. finder.com.au

---

🧠 Notes on the List

• Surveys vary by region: Most of the structured ranking above is influenced by American and Australian survey datasets — but the trends (health, money, happiness) show up globally. YouGov+1

• Aggregated themes: Many people set multiple resolutions, and categories often overlap (e.g., physical health includes diet, exercise, weight loss).

• Newer trends: Resolutions around mental health, sustainability, quality of life, and spiritual wellbeing have grown compared to decades past.

Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.