Three in Ten (31%) Canadians Will Set A New Year's Resolution, Yet Three Quarters (73%) Eventually Break Them

Toronto, ON - Three in ten (31%) Canadians set New Year's resolutions and among those who do, three quarters (73%) eventually break them, according to an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Cadillac Fairview. Among the three quarters who break their resolutions, half keep them for a while (51%), two in ten (16%) keep them for a short time, and 6% break their resolutions almost as soon as they make them. One quarter (27%) always keep their resolutions.

Among Canadians who do not make New Year's resolutions, most mention that they see resolutions as more of a novelty/tradition than a serious commitment (28%). Others do not make them because they set goals for themselves throughout the year (27%), followed by lack of will power (15%), don't think resolutions are important (14%), never stick to them anyway (10%), or give other reasons (6%).

Regardless of resolution-setting attitudes, over half (53%) still `agree' (14% strongly/39% somewhat) that setting goals at the start of the year is important, while less than half (47%) `disagree' (14% strongly/32% somewhat). Nine in ten (88%) `agree' (34% strongly/54% somewhat) they are always looking for ways to improve their overall well-being, while only one in ten (12%) `disagree' (3% strongly/9% somewhat). Furthermore, seven in ten (68%) still `agree' (24% strongly/ 44% somewhat) they look at the beginning of the year as an opportunity to make a fresh start, while three in ten (32%) `disagree' (9% strongly/23% somewhat).

Setting and Achieving Goals

Two thirds (67%) of Canadians are `likely' (22% very/ 45% somewhat) to set a New Year's intention - a scalable goal that is focused on the positive instead of the problem; one third (33%) are `unlikely' (12% not at all likely/21% not very likely). Among those who are likely to set an intention, the most popular is to live a healthier lifestyle (65%), followed by focusing on the positive (53%), spending time with family and friends (40%), being true to oneself (37%), and learning something new (37%).

Canadians are also interested in finding resources to help achieve their goals or intentions, with the majority (61%) `agreeing' (16% strongly/ 45% somewhat) they are interested in hearing about opportunities in their communities to help meet their goals, while four in ten (39%) `disagree' (10% strongly/29% somewhat). Over eight in ten (83%) `agree' (27% strongly/56% somewhat) it is important to have the right tools and equipment to achieve their goals, while less than two in ten (17%) `disagree' (12% somewhat, 5% strongly). Just over half (53%) `agree' (15% strongly, 38% somewhat) they are more likely to achieve their goals if they set them with a friend - and women (56%) are significantly more likely to agree that this would help them achieve their goals compared to men (49%). Less than half (47%) `disagree' (16% strongly/32% somewhat) that this would be helpful to achieving their goals.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 14 and December 17, 2015, on behalf of Cadillac Fairview. For this survey, a sample of 2,004 Canadians from Ipsos' online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within 177 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Public Affairs
416.572.4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos in Canada

Ipsos is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos' marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,669.5 ($2,218.4 million) in 2014.

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