Sticking to the same old habits?
New research into the habits of Irish adults has revealed that 83% of us fear on missing out on new experiences and opportunities by sticking to the same habits. Of that 83%, 82% admit they are creatures of habit.
The study showed that 16% claim to never make changes in their lives, while more than a quarter (26%) do so every year and almost a fifth (19%) do so every few months. The research coincides with the launch of Toyota’s new brand campaign ‘Make The Move’ which encourages drivers to experience the electrified freedom that a Toyota hybrid electric provides and to move away from diesel and harmful emissions for the good of our health and the health of the environment. LIFESTYLE, RELATIONSHIPS & CAREERS
The survey revealed that while more than a quarter (26%) of Irish adults are not comfortable making changes in their lifestyle, close to a fifth (19%) are very comfortable and more than half (55%) are somewhat comfortable – good news indeed given the challenging climate crisis we find ourselves in.
In terms of relationships a surprising 56% are comfortable making changes, while 34% are not very comfortable, and 10% are not at all comfortable. Interestingly, when asked what they are most likely to change in 2024, 15% said their relationships, so there may be many broken hearts in Ireland next year!
When it comes to the workplace and careers our habitual patterns are starker, with more than a third (34%) not being comfortable making changes, while 45% are somewhat comfortable and 21% are very comfortable. 25% plan to make a career or job change in 2024.
CH, CH, CH, CH, CHANGES!
When asked what they are most likely to change in 2024 almost half (48%) cited improvements in health and fitness, 46% said changes to their spending habits, almost a fifth (19%) are planning on changing where they live.
On a more sustainable note, 31% plan on switching to a more environmentally friendly car like a hybrid or full battery electric, while 3% say they’ll walk more, take public transport or carshare. In fact, 18% of respondents said they tend to make changes in their lives to have a more positive impact on the world. WHY CHANGE?
In terms of reasons why Irish people make changes the biggest motivations were for health and wellbeing (60%), personal growth and feel-good factor (50%), to improve financial stability (49%) and to improve relationships (28%).
The deterrents to making changes are many and varied with more than 30% each citing lack of confidence, difficulty in making up their mind, not having the financial resources and not having the motivation. 26% said they simply don’t have the time to make changes.