As the calendar flips to another year, everyone asks the same question, “What’s your New Year’s Resolution?” Year after year, billions of people make promises to improve themselves as they go into another day hungover with the same exact problems as before, only with a hopeful new mindset. However, after the 2nd week of the new year school gets more intense. You start watching that new show on Netflix and procrastination sets in. Not only have you forgotten the fact that you “promised” yourself to go to the gym once a week, but now you’re eating ice cream by the pint. What happened to this so called “new you”?

New years resolutions are nonsense. If you want to make a goal, you are going to make it, regardless of the time of year. Setting personal goals is an ideal for everyone, as it pushes ourselves to be better. The concept of making resolutions at this one specific time and trying to stick to it is unrealistic and won’t be beneficial in the long run. People set unattainable goals on January 1st of every year and are repeatedly let down when their aspirations remain unachieved.

As humans, we’re always changing and growing. Every decision we make affects a greater outcome. And setting goals is the best way to stay on track and keep you going where you want to be headed. Self-improvement is a gradual process, and isn’t going to happen in a moment, but in the continual act of self discipline. Change will happen when you truly decide you want it to, not when a magical ball drops and the clock strikes midnight.