New year, new you – at least until the Instagram memes remind us that most resolutions are short-lived and barely make it past January.
But that doesn’t stop people from setting them. Research from Compare the Market reveals the resolutions Aussies are most determined to stick to in the year ahead.
Health and wellbeing
It’s looking like 2026 will be the year of the health kick, with around a third of Aussies surveyed (37.50 per cent) saying they aim to live a healthier lifestyle next year.
The findings show that Millennials are the most likely to set resolutions focused on living healthier in 2026, with 43 per cent doing so, compared to 42 per cent of Gen X, 37 per cent of Gen Z, and just 30 per cent of Baby Boomers.
And New South Wales will become the health boom capital of Australia, with 44 per cent of those from the state vowing to prioritise their health in the new year – higher than Victoria (39 per cent), Queensland (34 per cent), Western Australia (29 per cent) and South Australia (27 per cent).
But the findings also reveal there has been a jump in Aussies ditching New Year’s resolutions all together – up from 25.8 per cent in 2025 to 31.9 per cent in 2026.
Sticking to your goals
The sad reality is that while we set these health and fitness goals with the best intentions, some people don’t stick to their plan if they have a cheat day or suffer a setback. I’m not a health guru but I’d say that’s pretty normal.
The good news is, for 13.7 million Australians who have extras health insurance, they could already be paying for services to aid their health goals.
Health insurance is more than just dental check-ups or optometrist appointments. You’d be surprised at the types of services available that can help you live a healthier lifestyle.
And you may already be paying for the service. While benefits vary between policies and health funds, you may be able to claim on things like gym memberships, lifestyle programs, dietitian consultations, remedial massage and more.
If you have an extras policy, see if you can access these services. Or if they’re important to you and you think they’ll help you on your health journey, compare your options and consider switching to or taking out a policy that offers them.
Ditching bad habits
The research also found that 7.9 per cent of Australians said they would drink, smoke or vape less in 2026 – down slightly from 8.6 per cent in 2025. These can be expensive habits, so in addition to improving your overall health, kicking them could help boost your savings in 2026 too. If you were spending $80 a week on these habits every week, which isn’t hard if you’re going out with mates or winding down the week with work colleagues, it works out to be $4,160 over a year. That’s enough for an overseas holiday, a new laptop, phone or even an update of your wardrobe.
Other top resolutions Australians made in 2026 include:
- Saving more money (35.3 per cent).
- Going on a holiday (24.8 per cent).
- Buying a new car (9.7 per cent).
- Being more environmentally conscious (9.6 per cent).
