Auld Lang Syne : Success Predictors, Change Processes, and Self-Reported Outcomes of New Year’s Resolvers and Nonresolvers  John C. Norcross, Marci S. Mrykalo, and Matthew D. Blagys University of Scranton New Year’s resolvers (n = 159) and comparable nonresolvers interested in changing a problem later ( n = 123) were followed for six months via telephone interviews to determine their self-reported outcomes, predic- tors of success, and change processes. The two groups did not differ in terms of demographic characteristics, problem histories, or behavioral goals (weight loss, exercise program, and smoking cessation being the most prevalent). Resolvers reported higher rates of success than nonresolvers; at six months, 46% of the resolvers were continuously successful com- pared to 4% of the nonresolvers. Self-efficacy, skills to change, and readi- ness to change assessed before January 1 all predicted positive outcome for resolvers. Once into the new year, successful resolvers employed more cognitive–behavioral processes but fewer awareness-generating and emotion-enhancing processes than nonsuccessful resolvers. Discussion centers on the research and intervention opportunities afforded by the annual tradition of resolutions. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psy- chol 58: 397–405, 2002. Keywords: New Year; resolutions; self-change; transtheoretical model; weight loss; smoking cessation; self-help The advent of each new calendar year constitutes a psychologically and culturally sanc- tioned opportunity for self-initiated change of problematic behaviors. Indeed, approxi- mately 40 to 50% of American adults participate in the annual tradition of making New Year’s resolutions (American Medical Association, 1995; Epcot Poll, 1985; Gallup An earlier version of this article was presented at the 68th annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Asso- ciation, Washington, DC. The authors gratefully acknowledge Ms. Mireika Kobayashi for assistance with the data analysis and the 282 residents of northeast Pennsylvania who participated in this study. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to: John C. Norcross, Department of Psychology, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4596; e-mail: norcross@uofs.edu. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 58(4), 397–405 (2002) © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/jclp.1151