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The week in silly studies: The hard part to making a resolution is keeping it

So you've made your resolution for 2013 to get in shape, lose weight, save more money or whatever, but chances are by the end of January you will have already quit, multiple studies show.

If you made a New Year's resolution at midnight you are not alone. Studies show about half of the people in North America make resolutions. However, if you are one of the millions who are looking back on your failed 2012 resolution you are also not alone. About half of the people who made a resolution gave up at some point through the year with nearly a third of all resolution-makers calling it quits within the first 30 days.

The study was conducted by global research firm Kelton on behalf of self-discipline expert Rory Vaden. And those results have him offering some tips for breaking through that critical 30-day barrier.

According to the Knoxville Daily Sun, the main thing Vaden suggests is picking one resolution, because we aren't very good at multitasking. He also suggests having to pay someone if you quit, measuring effort instead of results and measuring it once a week, and finding a friend to work on the resolution with.

[ Last week's silly study: Why Rudolph's nose is so red ]

This isn't the first time a study has found we're not good about keeping resolutions. A 2007 study conducted at the University of Bristol in England found that 52 per cent of people confident they would succeed with their resolution, but in reality only 12 per cent succeeded.

As for what people are resolving to change, a study by the University of Scranton in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found the number one resolution is to lose weight. Three of the top ten resolutions have to do with being healthier.

According to a different study by Harris Interactive on behalf of Bodybuilding.com, nearly two thirds of adults who make resolutions have set fitness goals. It also found 73 per cent of people give up on these goals before meeting them.

People surveyed gave up on them because it was too difficult to follow a diet and workout regimen and they struggled to find time. Nearly half of the people who quit did so within the first six weeks.

Other popular resolutions include getting organized, spending less, saving more, helping others, spending more time with family and falling in love.

The idea of a resolution is not a modern phenomenon. According to My Fox Atlanta, "Historians say the Babylonians during the First Century B.C. used to make sure debts were paid and neighbor's items were returned at the start of their year."

But the idea is gaining in popularity. Only about a quarter of people made a resolution during the time of the Great Depression and now that number is closer to half of the population.

January 1 is probably as good a time as any to think about if your resolution is realistic or if will you end up like the majority of people who will fail to keep their resolutions in 2013.

(Reuters photo)

The week in silly studies is a feature that appears each Tuesday.
It is not intended to mock real science.

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