What Your New Year’s Resolution Says About Your Generation

New Year’s resolutions: It’s a timeless tradition.

Even so, research suggests our generational approach to these annual, aspirational goals might both aligns us and sets us apart. From Traditionalists to Generation Z, age-related perspectives shape how we prioritize and measure personal outcomes.

Traditionalists (1928–1945): Activity and Connection

For Traditionalists, New Year’s resolutions often focus on health and family, emphasizing independence, physical activity and connection. This might mean that goals such as “simplifying life” or “sharing knowledge,” top Traditionalists’ resolution lists.

Case in point: a 2024 BMC Geriatrics survey of older adults, showed “health and well-being” were common goals.

Baby Boomers (1946–1964): Financial Planning and Giving Back

Baby Boomers’ resolutions commonly center around travel, volunteering or spending more time with family. Financial planning and staying active are also top priorities for this demographic, as are mentoring and community engagement.   

About 52% of Baby Boomers set New Year’s resolutions, according to Coolest Gadgets’ “New Year’s Resolution Statistics By Demographics, Region and Gender.”

Generation X (1965–1980): Balancing Work and Life

A 2024 Fidelity study found 66% of Gen Xers focus on financial resolutions, as do 76% of Millennials. Balancing careers, caring for aging parents and supporting their own children are also common “resolution” themes for Generation X.

Millennials (1981–1996): Wellness and Family

When it comes to setting goals, Millennials prioritize family and wellness. According to a Sanford Health study, “79% [of Millennials] said family was important in their lives, followed by health and wellness at 53%.”

As a result, many Millennials embrace resolutions for personal and social betterment, aligning their annual goals with broader social values.

Generation Z (1997–2012): Mental Health and Financial Fitness

More than 92% of Generation Z makes New Year’s resolutions, Coolest Gadgets reports. Often, these goals are tied to activism, such as supporting environmental or social causes. Like other generations, wellness remains a top goal of Generation Z, with more than 88% of people in this demographic describing themselves as “active” according to Drug Store News.  

In 2024, American Express reported 59% of Millennials and Gen Zs said “growing their savings” topped their resolutions list.

Shared Goals Across Generations

Despite generational differences, health and wellness, financial stability and meaningful relationships remain universal priorities, says Statista’s “America's Top New Year's Resolutions for 2025.”  Across generations, about 9% of people achieve their annual goals, according to InsideOut Mastery.