New Year's resolutions: Uh, never mind

by Mark Silva

People may be making some New Year's resolutions, but apparently relatively few are planning to turn over a new leaf in the looming new year.

That may have something to do with the fact that people who made big resolutions last year had trouble keeping them.

Only 40 percent report that it's very likely or somewhat likely that they will turn over that new leaf, while 60 percent say it's unlikely that they will pledge to making any change in 2009, a Marist Poll has found.

Losing weight is a perennial goal, of course - and 20 percent of Americans surveyed say they will vow to lose weight in the new year.

Shedding a bad habit or quitting smoking are among the leading hopes, as usual, but a new pledge has made the Top 3 this season, Marist reports: 12 percent say they will spend less money in 2009 - bumping the goal of "being a better person'' to lower on the list.

Now, 60 percent of Americans who did make a resolution last year kept their promise for at least part of the year, Marist notes. But 40 percent admit to failing to keep those resolutions.

The Marist survey of 1,003 Americans was run Dec. 9-10. The possible margin of error is 3 percent.