A new year is often a prime opportunity to pause, reflect and welcome in a fresh start. Whilst it might feel that 2021 has not yet brought us the changes we all hoped for, this is not stopping us from wanting to strive over the months ahead.
Almost 1 in 3 of us have made New Year’s Resolutions for 2021, with 1 in 10 claiming to be doing so for the very first time (LightboxPulse, 2021). However, these goals and resolutions are not ground-breaking nor transformative but instead typical of what we see every new year, or simply building on new positive habits gained during the lockdowns of 2020. Of those setting goals for 2021, keeping up or starting new exercise routines remains a top priority (53%, YouGov 2020), which will help the likes of Joe Wicks and Peloton continue their successes from last year. Furthermore, saving money is also top of our agenda (39%, YouGov 2020), despite 2021 already causing employment disruption for thousands of Brits. This resolution is also likely to be founded on momentum gained in 2020, with 2 in 3 Brits reported to have saved an average of £7k over the course of 2020 (or £15k if you live in London), thanks to reduced outgoings during lockdown (Moneysupermarket.com, 2020).
However, what has jumped up the ranks this year is setting goals around being with loved ones. Out of those who have made resolutions, 1 in 4 have cited spending time with family as a goal for 2021, up 11% pts from 2020 (YouGov, 2020). Whether setting goals or not, 1 in 5 Brits have simply said that any immediate focus will be on being kind to themselves and those around them, further highlighting that this will not be the year of radical transformation (LightboxPulse, 2020).
After a difficult year, where families were forced apart for months on end, it is not a surprise to see some new goals that are more emotionally driven. Brands who continue to communicate these emotions with empathy, instead of the ‘new year, new you’ messaging we’re used to seeing, is likely to engage during this period of extended uncertainty and challenge.
