It’s 2018, and with that many people embracing the ‘New Year, New Me’ attitude and making New Year’s Resolutions. With promises of change to come and newfound motivation, New Year’s Resolutions seem like a good idea, in theory. In reality, New Year’s Resolutions often fail for many reasons.

More often than not, New Year’s Resolutions are big goals that require an entire shift in your lifestyle and everyday routine, and once the clock changes from 11:59 to 12:00, the change begins. Change is not a sudden thing unless it’s temporary. It’s a very gradual process that occurs everyday until you meet your goal. Ultimately, New Year’s Resolutions aren’t sustainable, unless your resolutions are small things you can easily do or small steps toward a big goal.

Specifically during the holiday season, many people excuse their behaviors by saying they’ll change them on New Year’s day. If you have an undesired trait or behavior, instead of choosing to continue to live with said trait until a predetermined time, you should decide to take steps to improve right then and there. I understand wanting a clean slate, but the second you decide to make positive changes, the slate is clean.

Many people say that New Year’s Resolutions motivate them to make positive changes in their life. That is a situation in which New Year’s Resolutions are a good thing, however setting unrealistic goals for yourself ultimately will lead to disappointment if you don’t succeed. You can use the New Year to motivate yourself, just don’t go from zero to one hundred in a day.

Ultimately, New Year’s Resolutions are a good thing. It’s always a good idea to improve upon yourself. The issues come when people pick up unsustainable habits. When setting goals for yourself, always remember to start small and build up to your end goal.