2025 was a year most Americans would like to forget. (Credit: Jo Panuwat D on Shutterstock)
In A Nutshell
- Four in 10 Americans described 2025 as ‘just okay,’ while 3 in 10 felt it was ‘bad’ or ‘awful’
- Saving money and getting more exercise tied as the top New Year’s resolutions for 2026 (45% each)
- Younger generations blame lack of money for failing to meet goals, while baby boomers cite lack of willpower
- Gen Z responds to failure with self-criticism and guilt, while older generations accept setbacks and move forward
Americans are limping into 2026 with low expectations after a year most would rather forget. Only 10% of people called 2025 a “great” year, according to a survey, with the vast majority describing it as “just okay” (39%), “bad” (19%), or even “awful” (10%).
Determined to turn things around, 38% of Americans are setting personal goals for the new year. The Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans shows people are creating an average of six resolutions each, with financial security and physical fitness leading the charge. That’s a lot of ambition after a year that left so many feeling disappointed.
The widespread dissatisfaction with 2025 appears to be fueling a renewed commitment to self-improvement. Rather than accepting another lackluster year, Americans are doubling down on personal goals, hoping that intentional changes can shift their circumstances in meaningful ways.
Saving Money and Exercising Top 2026 Goals
Putting more money into savings (45%) and getting more exercise (45%) tied as the most common resolutions, followed by improving overall physical health (41%). Other popular goals include eating healthier (40%), improving holistic financial wellness (34%), spending more time outdoors (29%), and boosting mental health (29%).
The dual focus on finances and fitness reflects deeper concerns about stability and well-being after a disappointing year. These twin priorities suggest Americans see their bank accounts and their bodies as two sides of the same coin when it comes to overall quality of life. Financial stress and physical health are deeply interconnected, and people seem to recognize that improvement in one area often supports progress in the other.
Americans rated their average mental health at 7 out of 10, with men scoring slightly higher at 8 out of 10. Despite the rough year, half of respondents believe 2026 will be their year to finally reach a better place mentally. That optimism stands in contrast to how people felt about 2025, suggesting many see the new year as a fresh start rather than a continuation of current struggles.
Money Problems and Willpower Issues Block Progress
Getting to those goals won’t be easy. Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X all identified not having enough money as their biggest barrier to achieving resolutions. Baby boomers cited lack of willpower as their primary obstacle instead. Mental health challenges (28%) and lack of time (22%) also prevent people from following through.
The generational split on barriers is telling. Younger Americans face economic headwinds that make even basic goal-setting feel out of reach. When you’re worried about making rent or paying off student loans, resolutions about outdoor time or mental wellness can feel like luxuries. Baby boomers, presumably more financially stable, point to internal rather than external obstacles.
Millennials are most likely to create New Year’s resolutions (57%), while baby boomers are least likely (23%). Men also show more enthusiasm than women, both in setting goals (44% vs. 35%) and feeling motivated to complete them (93% vs. 85%). The gender gap suggests men may feel more agency over their circumstances or more optimism about their ability to create change through personal effort.
Younger Americans Struggle More with Failure
When resolutions fall short, generational differences emerge. Gen Z tends to criticize themselves or feel guilty when they don’t meet goals (36%). Millennials (42%), Gen X (48%), and baby boomers (55%) are more likely to accept failure as part of the process and keep moving forward.
The pattern shows that self-compassion tends to increase with age. Older Americans have likely experienced enough failed resolutions to know that stumbling doesn’t mean giving up entirely. Younger people, especially Gen Z, appear to internalize setbacks more personally.
“Setting meaningful personal goals is a positive step for mental well-being and growth, but it is equally important that we go easy on ourselves if we don’t achieve them right away,” said Dr. Nikole Benders-Hadi, chief medical officer at Talkspace, which commissioned the research. “Remember that there can be growth in trying to achieve goals, even if you don’t always achieve exactly what you set out to, or the outcome doesn’t look or feel like what you expected.”
Different Generations, Different Mental Health Strategies
To maintain mental well-being, different generations rely on different habits. Gen Z leans on time with family and sleep (both 36%). Millennials prefer listening to music and podcasts (43%). Gen X (42%) and baby boomers (46%) both favor regular walks. About 54% of respondents said they’re open about their mental health with loved ones, with millennials (63%) and men (59%) being the most transparent.
The generational preferences reveal how people of different ages process stress and seek comfort. Gen Z’s focus on family and rest suggests they prioritize connection and recovery. Millennials turn to audio content, perhaps finding solace in feeling less alone through shared stories and music. The older generations favor physical movement, recognizing the mental benefits of getting outside and staying active.
About 38% of respondents have unique personal techniques for boosting their mood. Some shared creative approaches, from treasure hunting and lifting weights to rock music to skateboarding. One respondent enjoys “listening to my favorite music and dancing like nobody’s watching,” while another finds peace “listening to Tyler, The Creator interviews.” One person even admitted, “Crying. Sometimes you just gotta make yourself cry.” Another shared, “I love encouraging others. It takes my mind off any issues I have, and in many cases, I get the pleasant surprise of returned encouragement.”
After a year most Americans would rather forget, the hope is that 2026 brings something better. Whether those six resolutions per person actually stick remains to be seen, but the effort itself may matter more than perfect execution.
Methodology Summary
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans who have access to the internet. The survey was commissioned by Talkspace and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Nov. 5 and Nov. 10, 2025.
I heard someone say – “Happiness” is for women and children, while us men are called to pursue greater meaning, purpose, and significance. Happiness is a transient emotional experience, fluctuating with life’s highs and lows. In contrast, discovering purpose, meaning, and significance holds far greater importance and lasting impact.
Consider this: when reflecting on history’s greatest figures, were they truly “happy?” Leonardo da Vinci, a remarkable polymath who excelled in fields such as art, engineering, anatomy, architecture, botany, and natural sciences, once expressed, “I have offended God and mankind by doing so little with my life.” Imagine that—the great Leonardo da Vinci feeling he had not accomplished enough.
What about Johann Sebastian Bach? Despite becoming one of the most celebrated composers in Western music, serving as an organist, court musician, and Thomaskantor in Leipzig, and creating masterpieces like the Brandenburg Concertos, Well-Tempered Clavier, and St. Matthew Passion, his life was marked by profound loss. Orphaned young, he lost ten of his twenty children before adulthood, including his first wife Maria Barbara, along with many siblings—18 deaths in total.
In the 18th century, happiness was less about emotional self-expression and more about fulfilling duties, faith, and social roles. Bach lived in a culture where music was not meant to directly convey personal feelings, so although his works resonate emotionally today, they were not autobiographical.
Psychotherapist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl said, “When a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.” This insight captures a key principle in his philosophy—that pleasure often serves as a temporary refuge from the pain of a meaningless life.
Much of what people today call “happiness” is simply pleasure—the pursuit of pleasant sensations and the avoidance of pain or suffering.
Frankl highlights that this pleasure-seeking can lead to several pitfalls prevalent in modern culture:
Avoidance of Growth
Constantly chasing pleasure can cause people to evade uncomfortable realities, stalling personal development and resulting in a shallow, purposeless existence.
Addictive Behaviors
When pleasure becomes the primary coping strategy, it can evolve into compulsive behaviors or addictions—whether substance abuse, excessive screen time, or overindulgence in entertainment—that mask emptiness rather than fill it.
Emotional Numbness
Relying too heavily on distractions dulls the emotional sensitivity necessary for deeper awareness. Without facing discomfort, individuals may remain disconnected from what truly matters.
Erosion of Resilience
Those who avoid meaning by indulging in pleasure often find it harder to withstand life’s challenges. Without a strong sense of purpose, hardships feel more burdensome, and recovery from setbacks becomes more difficult.
Some would say that our culture’s obsession with so-called happiness and having a “good time” is a detriment to our developing greater meaning, significance, and fulfillment in our lives.
So, to edit my first statement, a more truthful version of that maxim might be:
“Men are built to pursue meaning first.
Happiness is the fragrance that rises from a meaningful life.”
Meaning is the root.
Happiness is the flower.
When men chase the flower without the root, it dies in their hands.
People need earned joy, not consumed pleasure.
There’s a difference:
Pleasure vs Meaningful Joy
Consumed vs Created
Passive Active
Fleeting Enduring
Self-focused Contribution-focused
Escapist Integrative
Leaves you empty Leaves you expanded
Men don’t reject happiness.
Men reject cheap happiness.
A society built on pleasure collapses.
A society built on meaning endures.
I’m a retired baby boomer, and contrary to the survey published in the article, I’d like to add my own humblebrag. Using only my willpower, in 2025 I was able to stop two daily substance use habits. I drew up a schedule that gradually reduced the intake of each substance over several months. It was a complete change of my daily schedule that has given me freedom and a sense of control over my life. I tell my story in hopes that others may be inspired to do the same in 2026.
Huh. Well, my mom always told me I was top ten. I guess she was right!
It was a wonderful year for me as I watch the American state die a well deserved death before my eyes.
These Studies are not entirely accurate. Not everyone is happy because of various circumstances! But it seems very obvious that the left wing media is very responsible for all the bull inaccurate propaganda and the hate Trump! TDS is an accurate appraisal of those networks with unsubstantiated negative agendas! Millions of Illegal Immigrants came into our country under Biden and all the while his representatives said that “the Border is Closed”. This malfeasance by the Media and Biden contributed to what we see in this country today. You have people in here who have various diseases, drugs, gangs, theft and killing of innocent American Citizens. These so called leaders and or politicians have not shown bi-partisan leadership to protect Americans!