Two weeks into 2016, an estimated three in 10 New Year's resolutions have already been tossed aside like old Powerball tickets.
By year's end, only 8 percent of those well-intended promises will have been kept.
Those findings, from University of Scranton researchers, ring true with local experts in psychology and fitness.
"By and large, when you look at people six months later and evaluate how well they did … typically they are not wildly successful," John Tauer, a psychology professor at the University of St. Thomas, said in a recent article.
Top resolutions per the Scranton research include losing weight, getting organized, saving more and enjoying life.
One cause of the washout rate is that picking resolutions on New Year's Eve is more like participating in a party game than committing to change. But for those who are serious, one problem is setting goals that are vague.
Brian Tietz of Life Time Fitness said setting specific and attainable fitness goals is more likely to work, especially if people write them down and measure them frequently.
"Schedule it in, get it on the calendar, and set some small goals," said Tietz, who manages personal training at Life Time's Target Center facility.