- INSIDER recently surveyed 1,102 people about their New Year's resolutions and discovered the goals people want their spouses to make for 2019.
- 19.2% of men and 14.6% of women said they wanted their spouses to lose weight for a 2019 resolution.
- 9% of men and 12.6% of women want their spouse to create — and stick to — a budget.
- Suggesting resolutions for your partner shows you care and are invested in their future, therapist and relationship expert Rachel Sussman told INSIDER.
Every year, as December draws to a close, people make New Year's resolutions in hopes of changing in the year ahead. But people don't just make resolutions for themselves. As it turns out, people like to suggest goals for their partners too.
INSIDER recently surveyed 1,102 people about their New Year's resolutions, as well as ones they want to make for their spouse.
Most people didn't have resolutions in mind for their spouses, but of those who did, weight loss was most popular
Although 19.6% of survey respondents said they had no resolutions in mind for their spouses, 16.8% of respondents saying they wanted their partners to lose weight in 2019. Of those respondents, 19.2% identified as males and 14.6% identified as females.
Another popular resolution was "work out or exercise more," which ranked third overall among responses, with 14.5% of respondents saying they would like their partner to do so. Men, however, were more interested in weight loss as a goal for their partners while women were more interested in their partners exercising more.
Physical health resolutions weren't the only popular goals though: 10.9% of respondents, 9% who were male and 12.6% who were female, said they wanted their spouses to create or stick to a budget in 2019.
Other top resolutions included being a better partner, paying off debt, stopping a bad habit, and quitting or reducing smoking, according to the poll.
If done correctly, suggesting resolutions for your partner can strengthen your relationship
Suggesting a resolution like the ones above to your partner may seem overbearing, but doing so can actually bolster your relationship.
"It's a way of showing that you care, are invested in their future, and want your partner to be the best they can be," Rachel Sussman, a therapist and relationship expert, told INSIDER. She suggested completing a resolution together because it can unite a couple around a joint goal and help a person learn more about their partner, like how they handle stress and commitment.
Read more:15 real people share their secrets to a long-lasting relationship
Encouraging your partner to set a resolution can be helpful, but you shouldn't nag at them if they're not hitting their goals, Sussman said. "Nagging is annoying and the results will be counterproductive to what you're trying to achieve."
Instead, offer praise when they hit a milestone, suggest working towards the goal together, or even offer a reward for completing the resolution.
Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.
- Read more:
- Research-backed tricks to stick to the 9 New Year's resolutions everyone has
- New Year's resolutions you should make based on science — and how to keep them
- 7 questions successful couples should be able to answer
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