Welcome to 2024! With a new year come new aspirations and plans. And whether you’re the type to set resolutions or not, we ALL want to focus on being our best selves. And Americans’ attitudes about resolutions and the kind of goals we set are shifting to reflect that: once upon a time, “losing weight” was the #1 new year resolution.
But today, the top resolution, set by 48% of Americans surveyed* said they want to focus on “improving fitness,” which includes taking better care of ourselves regardless of what the scale says. Eating better, being more active, and improving the quality of sleep lead that list.
The second most popular goal among those surveyed is “improving finances” at 38%, and an up-and-coming goal in recent years—”improving mental health”—takes the third spot with 34% of Americans citing it as a 2024 goal. Increasingly, we’re talking publicly about mental health and prioritizing it. Where once we’d keep silent about anxiety or depression, attention deficit disorders, performance paralysis, social stress, and more, today we know that silence doesn’t improve our challenges, and in fact can make us feel even more isolated.
We’re also bullish on keeping those resolutions—80% feel confident they’ll reach their goals, and even more than that believe their goals will have positive impacts in the years to come beyond 2024.
If boosting your physical and mental well-being tops your targets for 2024, here are some key ways to keep yourself accountable, motivated, and on track:
- Use an app! Whether you’d like to count calories, time sleeping, steps in a day, or minutes meditating, there are myriad free apps to choose from. We love the saying “what gets measured, gets managed,” so measure the metrics most important to you.
- Reward yourself along the way. Give yourself micro-rewards for achieving 5 days in a row of your target behavior (or after 10 days, or whatever length of time supports you). Micro-rewards include small things like listening to 2 favorite songs on your music app of choice, 5 extra minutes in the shower, a timed session on social media, an episode of your favorite binge-worthy show (rather than the whole binge), a cup of coffee or tea or your favorite reduced-sugar beverage, or perhaps just 10 minutes savoring a sunset. Remember, small moments can be the best ones!
- Tell someone your goals (or recruit them to join you!). Enlist a friend who knows your goal and text each other when you’re stuck or need a little kick to get going. And involve them in the micro-rewards! Cuppa for two is always better than sipping solo.
- Keep it simple. We love the adage “the confused mind says no,” so keep it simple. Americans are three times more likely to set yearly goals than Swedes, for example, and nearly 1 in 5 Americans has multiple goals! That’s great, but simplicity wins the day. Create meaningful but achievable milestones with positive action-oriented steps (meaning: START doing something positive rather than trying to STOP doing something negative…we’re more motivated that way).
A simple, delicious and effective way to focus on your mental and physical well-being is incorporating a supplement or energizing beverage into your morning routine. At HCo., nootropic beverages (products designed to boost your focus and mood) are core to what we do, so we know a thing or two about simple solutions … like your morning coffee. Approximately 63% of Americans drink coffee every morning (the only beverage that’s consumed more often daily is water, at 66%!)** Why not enhance your morning coffee routine with a delicious alternative that also helps you achieve your 2024 goals? HCo.’s Elevate MAX Happy Coffee delivers mood elevation, appetite control, and extreme energy with polyphenols, antioxidants, and other botanical ingredients to support and regulate immune functions naturally and without the crash. For a gentler lift with all the taste and benefits, try our Daybreak Happy Coffee. Both options are a simple step toward making 2024 your best year yet!
* Forbes Health/OnePoll survey, Oct. 23, 2023
** National Coffee Association, USA, March 26, 2020
