Are You One of the 40 Percent?

Studies have found that about 40 percent of U.S. residents make at least one resolution each time that the calendar turns over to a new year. Further studies indicate that, out of the 40 percent who make a resolution, about 40 percent will be successful in achieving it. In other words, it's more likely than not that you didn't make a resolution — and even if you did, then it's more likely than not that you won't be successful in achieving it.

It probably bears pointing out here that there's no purely scientific means of studying things like this. "Studies" of resolution making and resolution keeping are based on self-reporting by the individuals who participate in the study. To really assess success in resolution keeping, you'd have to either conduct or refer to a separate study about how likely people are to lie about keeping their resolutions, and then cross reference those findings accordingly.

At any rate, if you did make a resolution, then good for you. Good luck with accomplishing whatever you set out to accomplish. And if you didn't make a resolution, then there's still time. After all, it's only Jan. 3 — we're still in the "settling in" and "figuring things out" phase. People who made a resolution to stop eating chocolate cake in 2020 have probably already started over, and people who made a resolution to run a marathon probably haven't even started training.

Speaking of training, TestOut CE is in the IT training and certification business. If you're reading these words, then you probably have a strong interest in IT certification yourself. So you'll agree that it only makes sense for you to resolve to get a certification in 2020. There's plenty of time. As noted above, the new year is just barely getting going. There's still plenty of time to put together a schedule that will have you certified by the end of the calendar year.

Experts say that you should break big goals into achievable steps, and then tackle those steps one at a time. With that in mind, our training is tailor-made for resolutions. You can sign up as soon as you're ready, use the training for as long as you need it, and then cancel your monthly subscription. Take the first step, and we'll help you take the rest. The next time that a scientist asks whether you kept your resolution, you won't even have to wonder whether you should lie.