New Year's Resolutions: Making or Breaking Goals with the Internet

Last year less than a quarter of adults made resolutions in 2009. From getting finances in order to taking off 10 lbs, we were all talk and no action. Only 24 percent of us actually committed to setting goals, and of that group only a handful stuck to their guns.

Dorthy.Com just released their annual New Year's Resolution study results and while last years numbers are bleak, 2010 has a lot of promise. The survey polled more than 2,400 adults in the U.S. to learn how the population sets and achieves their resolutions.

The quick facts are as follows:

•Only one in four U.S. adults have ever made resolutions (24%), of whom even less keep them, about 6 percent
•Americans are more resolved to make changes in 2010. 29 percent are planning to make resolutions for 2010, compared to only 17 percent in 2009

Money may stand in the way of your dreams:

•33 percent of adults across all age groups cite financial limitations as the primary obstacle to achieving their dreams and goals in life
•58 percent of adults who will make a resolution this year will resolve to save or invest money
•Less than one in five, 17 percent, plan to quit or get a new job

We’re all hitting the gym in 2010:

•More than half of Americans, 63 percent, say dropping weight is their number one goal
•13 percent vow to quit smoking
•7 percent are planning to run a marathon

The gender gap:

•A majority of women, 69 percent, plan on perfecting their bodies in 2010
•59 percent of men say saving and/or investing money is their primary goal

And if you’re wondering, the survey shows women are just as likely as men to drop their resolutions.

The study also found that the internet might play a bigger role in managing resolutions in 2010. Of online adults who've searched the Internet for ways to stick with their resolution, nine out of ten (92%) are likely to use an online service to help them maintain their goals. One in five adults have made resolutions and shared them on services like Facebook and Twitter.

So what does this mean? Well, we need to tap into our determination and maybe by sharing our goals and seeking outside help, this new year will be one of overwhelming personal improvement.

Up your chances of losing that jellyroll and saving $10k. Dorthy.com is a new, free service that allows users to create living pages about anything they're interested in, want to learn, or achieve. Each page searches the web 24/7 for the most relevant content providing collaborative and actionable results that learn from the users’ activity. Basically it looks for the things you care about and brings them to you. The site also has social features like subscribing to similar search activity and resource sharing, letting users learn from others who want to achieve the same goals.

Want more tips? Check out our complete guide to keeping New Year's Resolutions