On January 1st, a great portion of society reflects and attempts to reform their lives for the better. Whether you are with friends, family, or even strangers, you are often asked one inevitable question: what is your New Year’s resolution? For some time, this idea of changing your lifestyle on the first day of the new year has always prompted a series of questions. Why wait for January 1st to improve the quality of our lives? Do people stick to their resolutions? Why do most people’s resolutions fail? Through my own observations of people closest to me, I believe that the tradition is slowly deteriorating as it seems more practical to fix bad habits, start new lifestyles, and, in general, improve your life throughout the year, rather than wait for January 1st. 

Although the idea of fixing your life on New Year’s Day sounds appealing, it may come as no surprise that resolutions often fail. I have noticed several reasons why this may be, including procrastination, time management, and loss of motivation. First, it is important to realize where these resolutions come from. If a person decides to make a resolution that they will begin on January 1st, it may be because, for the past year, they have procrastinated on benefiting  themselves, claiming they would begin in the new year. This idea of waiting for the new year may make people too ambitious with their resolutions, which leads to a faster track to failure. Even if you stick to your resolution for a month, or two, or even three, there is a great possibility that you will lose motivation, then set the same goal for the next year. Thus, if you want to improve your life, begin now. Don’t wait for next month, next week, or even tomorrow. The motivation you have is yourself, so take initiative.