Every year more than a third of us make a New Year’s resolution that we’re determined to keep. But after six months, fewer than half of us will still be on track for staying with those resolutions.

There’s a way to keep our goals going. New research suggests that regardless of when New Year’s Day lands begin acting on your resolution on a Monday, which, conveniently, is New Year's Day this year.

The Healthy Monday initiative doesn’t just offer suggestions. The initiative provides free weekly prompts.

The proposal is promoted by an organization called the Monday Campaign, an initiative associated with leading health institutions seeking to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases (such as diabetes) by dedicating every Monday to health.

It may seem farfetched, but a 2021 nationwide survey conducted by the Data Decisions Group for the Monday Campaign says that day of the week holds the most promise. It found:

  • 40 percent of respondents viewed the beginning of the week as an opportunity for a fresh start.
  • 18 percent responded that it was a day to “get their act together.”
  • 83 percent of the responders agreed that starting the week off healthy would help them maintain health for the rest of the week.
  • 82 percent of the respondents agreed that Monday is a good day to get back on track after indulging over the weekend.
  • The survey also found that people are more likely to either start their diets and exercise regimens, quit unhealthy habits (like smoking) or make doctor’s appointments on a Monday rather than any other day of the week.

The Healthy Monday initiative is the signature program of the Syracuse University Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health, and a joint venture of the Monday Campaigns that began in 2005 with Meatless Mondays. It operates in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

The Healthy Monday initiative doesn’t just offer suggestions. The initiative provides free weekly prompts.

Their most recent program is The New Year’s Refresh package. It’s a 5-week series that uses the Healthy Monday Refresh to introduce several scientifically supported wellness concepts that can be applied by organizations, as well as individuals, to promote their health goals.

For example, if you want to make a resolution to eat a healthier diet, the initiative gives you a way to stay motivated with their “Meatless Monday Challenge.” If you want to exercise more often, they offer “Move It Monday” a campaign that encourages folks to begin their week with exercise.

If you live a stressful lifestyle and want to incorporate calm into your days, the organization offers “De-Stress Monday” which promotes a positive perspective on the week ahead with evidence-based programs such as mindfulness practices, breathing exercises, meditations and gratitude activities.

Whether you’re determined to eat better this year, get moving, quit an unhealthy habit or learn to relax, there’s a free Monday program just a click away.

Just visit www.mondaycampaigns.org and begin the year again — on a Monday.

This story, part of our end-of-the-year series designed to help you reach your goals for the New Year, originally ran on January 4, 2023.